Chapter 0697 – Wooden Plate

The old man is not tall, his age should be in the early sixties, wearing a sweat-absorbent white practice clothes, appearing to be very spiritual, but since he entered the office, Zhuang Rui’s eyes are fixed on the object he is holding in his arms above.

The old man in his arms is a piece of about one meter long, about seventy centimeters wide about the wooden plate, the color is a little dark red, in the wooden plate on the side of Zhuang Rui, there are some reliefs.

Zhuang Rui sitting from the door is not far, the old man came in, although not on the hands of a close look, Zhuang Rui can also be recognized, this wooden plate above the relief should be a god of the door, the head of the body is small, as for the Qin Qiong or Yuchigong, Zhuang Rui can not be recognized.

Although the wood of the wooden plate is very delicate, but Zhuang Rui can see that it must not be made of any rosewood, otherwise I’m afraid that this old man simply can’t hold it.

“Old man, come, come, it’s a hot day, put something down first.”

Zhuang Rui stood up and helped the old man to put the wooden board on the square table, after getting his hands on it, Zhuang Rui felt that although this wooden board was quite thick, it wasn’t very heavy.

“I’ll do it myself, I’ll do it myself, when the teacher can’t do it.”

The old man waved his hand again and again, and finally at Zhuang Rui’s insistence, this only let go and let Zhuang Rui put things on the table.

“Hehe, old man, drink some water first!”

Zhuang Rui smiled, Manager Zhang this time became a waiter, immediately took a cup of water and handed it over.

“Thank you, little Zhang ……”

The old man and Zhang Li seems to know, after receiving the water he poured, some uneasiness stood there and said, “Mr. Zhuang, this thing is passed down from my ancestors, has always stayed at home to preserve, the recent demolition of the family, the compensation is not enough to buy a house in the city, so bring this thing to you to see, if it is worth a couple of bucks, I’ll sell him. ”

“Old man, call me Xiao Zhuang on the line, can not afford to be a teacher of this two words ah! I take the liberty of asking, your ancestors, is Zhu Xian Town, right?”

Zhuang Rui heard the old man to sell this thing, can not help but light up, this object does not look ordinary wood, but the head can not be small, just now with the aura to see, the wooden plate inside the aura contained in the white yellow, at least it is also the Qing Dynasty in the early years of the legacy of the things.

The full name of this woodblock, should be called the New Year’s engraved plate, and use it to produce out of the New Year’s paintings, called woodblock New Year’s paintings, in the prints occupy the market before the New Year’s festivals people used to post the paper paintings, are from the hand of this risk of inconspicuous woodblock.

Familiar with the history of people should have heard the name of Zhu Xianzhen, when Yue Fei was here to break the Jin soldiers, if not twelve gold medals, perhaps China’s history will be rewritten, but in modern times, Zhu Xianzhen is famous for its woodblock prints.

Zhuxianzhen woodblock prints and Jin’s Yangliuqing, Jiangsu’s Taohuayu, Shandong’s Weifang, and Sichuan’s Mianzhu New Year’s Paintings, collectively known as the five major New Year’s Paintings (there are also said to be the four major New Year’s Paintings), and was included in one of the world’s intangible cultural heritages, and also one of the most most with the color of the people’s handicrafts.

Zhuxianzhen New Year paintings are characterized by full composition, bold and simple lines, simple and exaggerated shapes, and fresh and bright colors, which are in line with the color of the woodblock.

Another characteristic of Zhu Xian Town New Year paintings is that they are divided into two main categories, one is deity paintings, such as Zaojun God, God of Heaven and Earth, etc., and the other is the category of door gods, which is the most common in Zhu Xian Town woodblock New Year paintings, with Qin Qiong and Yuchi Jingde, the two military generals, dominating the door gods.

So Zhuang Rui in He Bo after the door, immediately guessed the origin of this woodblock, Zhuxianzhen itself in Henan, and the door god engraved plate is a local feature, Zhuang Rui to not have this eye medium, also need not mix antique line again.

“Alas, shame ah! Since Mr. Zhuang you can see it, I won’t hide it, you’re right, our family moved out from Zhuxian Town.”

The old man nodded, a hint of embarrassment on his face, as if he had come here with this wooden plate today, as if he had done something wrong.

“Mr. Zhuang, this is old uncle He, in the past our two families were living together, the relationship was very good, old uncle He was recently in a hurry to use money, and has been entrusting me to bid on this engraved plate, you wanted to collect something today, so I called uncle He and asked him to bring it over for you to take a look at it.”

Standing on the side of the tension to see the old man seems to be embarrassed to open his mouth, so the things to Zhuang Rui said once.

It turned out that the old man is the Zhuxian Town people, this piece of wood engraving plate, is also the family’s ancestors, but after that crazy era, although the things in, but their family’s craft is not passed down, the old man also left his hometown, along with the family came to Zhengzhou.

He Bo has been a lifelong laborer, his son, although filial piety, but not much ability to earn a dead wage only, a family of old people to eat and drink, but did not save a lot of money.

This suddenly said to be demolished, if said to move to the outskirts of the city to live, son and daughter-in-law to work far away a lot of grandchildren to go to school is also inconvenient, He Bo would like to buy a set of houses in the neighborhood where he used to live.

But the compensation given by the government, want to buy a house in the original lot, there is still a difference of more than two hundred thousand, which now let the old man worried, thinking about it, the family seems to have only the ancestors left this piece of plate worth some money.

So after rummaging through the box to find out this engraved plate, He Bo entrusted Zhang Li to help out, these two months is someone to go home to see, but because the old man asked for a little high price, were not able to negotiate.

Zhang Li also saw Zhuang Rui generous, which gave He Bo a phone call to see if Zhuang Rui interested.

“Old man, let me look at something first!”

Zhuang Rui is afraid that once he opens his mouth to buy, the other party will sit on the ground, besides, when he learns miscellaneous appreciation with Uncle Te, he has long heard of the New Year’s woodblock prints, take this opportunity, just to be able to see some.

“You see, you feel free to see ……”

Although Zhuang Rui is young, but the old man got Zhang Li’s instructions, know that this is a nationally renowned antique expert, so the look is a little formal.

Zhuang Rui did not speak again, picked up a magnifying glass, and carefully viewed the woodblock on the table.

This woodblock engraving, the earliest origin in the Tang Dynasty, but from the Song Dynasty began to popularize, due to these are folk handicrafts, the production of woodblock wood, but also are anywhere to take materials, materials in general, like the Tang and Song period of woodblock, I’m afraid that it has long been rotting difficult to preserve.

The general woodblock is with a wider distribution of boxwood carved out, but this piece of woodblock, to Zhuang Rui’s eyes, but with Shandong Feicheng unique production of mahogany carved out, after hundreds of years of woodblock, is still the quality of the dense and delicate, exudes a faint fragrance.

After Zhuang Rui observed for a long time, raised his head and asked towards the old man, “He Bo, this piece of wooden plate, how much do you want to sell?”

“This …… this, three hundred thousand ……”

He Bo hesitated for a moment, reported out a price, but let many people in the room shook their heads, they are all from Henan, for the Zhuxian Town’s woodblock is not unfamiliar, like this woodblock, in general, one hundred thousand dollars can be collected.

“This old man, three hundred thousand is a bit expensive.”

“Yes! Nowadays, although wooden plates are rare, they can still be received in Zhuxian Town.”

In the view of these connoisseurs in the room, He Bo is a bit of a lion’s mouth, just based on the price given by Zhuang Rui when he appraised the object earlier, he is absolutely clear that this asking price is high.

“Three hundred thousand dollars?”

Zhuang Rui also slightly frowned, this price is a little higher than he expected.

“It’s three hundred thousand, Mr. Zhuang, this thing was passed down from the family, to sell it off now, is already sorry to the ancestors, less than three hundred thousand, I won’t sell it, at most, I will move to the outskirts of the city.”

He Bo is very affectionate to this woodblock, he often saw it when he was a child, and then followed his family to flee to Zhengzhou, and at that time, he didn’t bring anything, he just brought this woodblock, so it can be said that this woodblock, it also sends the old man some thoughts about his elders.

“Alright! He Bo, just as you said, three hundred thousand, Manager Zhang, write an agreement! Peng Fei, take three hundred thousand out.”

After Zhuang Rui thought about it for a while, he finally decided to buy it, this woodblock was obviously specially carved from wood taken from Shandong, preserved from the middle of the Qing Dynasty to the present, without a single crack or insect moth, it was considered extremely rare.

“Brother Zhuang, this thing is not worth three hundred thousand dollars, right?”

Peng Fei took out the entire thirty stacks of RMB from his backpack and placed them on the table.

Peng Fei raised the question, is also exactly the room those collectors heart want to ask, spent three hundred thousand to buy a only worth one hundred thousand dollars of the thing, this business how to see are lost ah!

Zhuang Rui smiled, said: “Peng Fei, this piece of woodblock although not to the Ming Dynasty, but should be before and after the Kangxi years, is also considered precious, from this point of view, to add some points, in the price of 100,000, at least add 50,000 dollars. Secondly, this piece of wood is carved out of mahogany, we all know, mahogany evil, and Shandong Feicheng of mahogany, more evil spirits of the gods of the house, on the basis of this, can add another 50,000 dollars. Third look at the character, this piece of wood plate in good condition, no moth decay place, and carving exquisite, this can add another 50,000 dollars.”

The crowd in the room listened to the interesting, a person shouted: “Zhuang boss, that there are fifty thousand?”

Zhuang Rui sniffed and arched his hand towards the four circles of the room, smiled and said, “Bosses, this woodblock is the ancestral property of He Bo’s family, although I can’t be called a gentleman, but it’s also considered to be taking away from people’s favor, adding another 50,000, it’s reasonable, isn’t it?”

“Good, Mr. Zhuang said well!”

“Mr. Zhuang is benevolent and righteous!”

“Yes! Sentient and righteous, such a talent can deserve the word expert.”

“I can’t say, Mr. Zhuang, if I have an object in the future, I will definitely go to Beijing to find you.”

Zhuang Rui’s words not only let the people in the room loudly applauded, is guarding the outside of those waiting for the identification of the people, but also have raised their thumbs, Zhuang Rui’s remarks, completely let these mixed in the antique line of people, is convinced.