Reborn As Super Heiress

Chapter 450: Chapter 446: The Real and Fake Enamel

The purple aura on this enamel piece is made of the same substance as that on the square object, but the shade of purple on the square object is slightly darker than that on the enamel.

If the ”Heavenly Eye” could see into the past, what form would that take in front of her eyes?

Huo Sining speculated that this substance might be related to what Yan Feng referred to as ”time’s past”, and these purples hues very likely represent the age of the antiques!

Considering this possibility, Huo Sining was immediately astounded, her breathing even became a bit more rapid.

It was no wonder she reacted this way; the same situation might have caused an ordinary person to be many times more excited than she was.

Perhaps it was because of the preposterous incident with the Water-Repelling Pearl that Huo Sining was now quite composed about these inexplicable and strange occurrences, although she couldn’t figure it out, she accepted it quickly.

However, she found it rather amusing. She had previously ridiculed herself, thinking the ”Heavenly Eye” was just like X-ray vision, deeming the ability practically useless, good for nothing but voyeurism.

Yet, within just a few days, the ”Heavenly Eye” had shown her how to authenticate the Hidden Mist technique, how to gamble using X-ray vision, and even now, it had given her such a big surprise.

Huo Sining shifted her gaze back to the set of porcelain bowls, and to verify her guess, she picked up the remaining bowls one after the other.

Among the remaining three bowls, there was indeed one that also carried the purple aura.

Huo Sining took out the two special bowls; she could tell at a glance that the other five were modern replicas, but these two were different.

Porcelain is distinct from other antiques; time acts like a carving knife, not only leaving rings on trees but also leaving evidence on porcelain.

This ”evidence” is the clay and glaze of porcelain.

Those with a discerning eye can immediately spot the authenticity of porcelain because its clay and glaze reflect its age, and you can’t fake whether it’s old or new.

The two bowls in Huo Sining’s hands, carrying the purple aura, were flawless in terms of appearance, color, pattern, and glaze. Huo Sining preliminarily determined that they were likely produced during the Yongzheng and Qianlong eras.

Enamel colors began to be used in the latter period of Emperor Kangxi, with its heyday during the Yongzheng period and continuing through the Qianlong period, with the pinnacle of craftsmanship and beauty reached in the Yongzheng period.

During the Qianlong period, enamel gradually gave way to pastel colors, so the use of enamel ended in the latter part of Qianlong’s reign.

Huo Sining believed that these two bowls in her hands were probably from the prime period of enamel.

However, this discovery seemed incredible and almost unbelievable to Huo Sining. She could hardly imagine that such precious items would be found at such an inconspicuous little stall.

What made it even stranger to her was why two such exquisite pieces of enamel were mixed with five other fakes. Who was the original owner of this set of bowls, and could they have also been deceived?

Huo Sining subconsciously flipped the two bowls upside down for a closer look. But the moment she did, she was stunned, and to some extent, she found it almost laughably unbelievable.

Originally, at the bottom of this set of porcelain bowls, there was a very obviously inferior mark imprinted: ”Made in Jingdezhen, Zhong Jiawan.”

This mark was written in simplified regular script, identical to the marks on the other five pieces of replica porcelain.

Enamel indeed was a fine product. It was said that most of the enamel items in the late Qing palace were taken away when the last Emperor Puyi escaped, and very few survived.

Most of the existing enamel artifacts are preserved in Taiwan; even the collection of the Forbidden City Museum is extremely limited. They only have one Purple Lotus Pattern Small Vase, whose glaze shows burnt bubbles due to an incorrect firing temperature.

If these were modern crafts, any porcelain with burnt bubbles would already be considered a firing failure and defect. However, because the Purple Lotus Pattern Small Vase is so rare, the Forbidden City decided to preserve it.

Because enamel is so precious, there are many imitations on the market.

The market is flooded with good and bad products, so those who saw this set of enamel bowls naturally assumed they were modern crafts, making it hard for anyone to associate them with authentic enamel.

Plus, there indeed were five bowls with fairly skilled replicas inside this set. All seven bowls together, at first glance, really looked like a complete set. Along with the inferior mark, it truly could be deceiving.

”Sir, how much for this set of bowls? They look pretty nice to me. They’re just what’s missing in my dining room at home. This set is perfect.”

A joyful expression emerged on Huo Sining’s face, appearing just like a true novice.

Though the old man was kindhearted and simple, it didn’t mean he was a fool. Having done business on Antique Street for many years, he naturally understood the tricks and nuances of the trade.

Almost everyone who came to Antique Street was looking to find something undervalued. Although the old man hadn’t discerned the authenticity of this set of porcelain bowls, Huo Sining’s just displayed expression was very off. The old man must have noticed, and even if he sold the bowls to Huo Sining under the light, he would raise the price significantly and wouldn’t let Huo Sining get them too cheaply.

That’s why Huo Sining deliberately pretended to be naive, playing the pig to eat the tiger.

Sure enough, the old man took her for real, thinking that Huo Sining liked this set of bowls because they were pretty. Generally, those who liked enamel did so because of its brilliant colors and beautiful, generous craftsmanship, so the old man had no suspicions.

”Young lady, you really have an eye for beauty. This set of enamel is from the Qing Dynasty, which you can’t find in ordinary shops. If you want it, I’ll sell it to you for this price!”

The old man gestured with his hands to form the shape of an eight, chuckling with a hehe, but his eyes carefully watched Huo Sining, observing her expressions.

This was the rule of Antique Street. Generally, vendors would gesture with their hands when making an offer, instead of stating a specific amount of money. Whether it was eight hundred, eight thousand or eighty thousand was up to your interpretation.

If you understood the item well, you wouldn’t be at a loss when quoting a price. But if you were not sure and your guess was higher than their actual offer, you would be the one who was taken advantage of, only to be fleeced by them.

Huo Sining’s eyelids involuntarily twitched when she heard the old man say the set of porcelain bowls was from the Qing Dynasty. But when she looked up at the old man, she noticed that his voice and demeanor were somewhat flighty as he spoke of the items being from the Qing Dynasty, clearly knowing himself that it was a lie, merely a trick to bluff Huo Sining.

Huo Sining immediately breathed a sigh of relief, knowing the old man probably hadn’t detected the true nature of the set.

Except for those two, the rest inside this set were all items fired after the liberation, and yet the old man claimed they were Qing Dynasty items. His intentions were quite obvious.