Chapter 1383 Treasures of Yuanmingyuan

After quickly scanning the exhibition hall, Ye Tian adjusted his mood a little, then turned his head to look at Benoit and said:

"Benois, since your Palace of Fontainebleau has been kept secret, it's the first time I've seen many Chinese antique artworks here, and I don't know much about them.

Therefore, it is up to you to explain and lead everyone to visit, so that we can better understand the Chinese antique artworks displayed here.

For the value of these Chinese antique artworks, I will give a reasonable valuation based on my own judgment and combined with the current market conditions of the antique artwork market!

After visiting the Chinese antique artworks displayed here, let's go to the antique warehouse to see those treasures that have been shelved, and I will make a choice! "

"Okay, Steven, next, the person in charge of the China Pavilion will explain to you and lead you to visit. He knows more about the Chinese antique art here.

Although you have never been here before, you are the top expert in the identification of antique works of art, and you know very well about Chinese antique works of art and traditional Chinese culture!

During the visit, if there are any mistakes or omissions in our explanation, you can point it out on the spot, we are very happy to listen to your opinions and make improvements! "

Benoit nodded with a smile, his expression has quickly returned to normal.

"Okay, Benoit, let's get started, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the tour"

Ye Tian nodded slightly, without any objection.

Afterwards, Benoit pushed Guy, the person in charge of the China Pavilion, to the front desk, and asked the French guy in his fifties to explain to everyone and lead them to visit the Chinese antique artworks displayed in the exhibition hall.

Guy stepped forward two steps, walked to the first Chinese antique artwork, pointed to that treasure and began to explain.

"Ladies and gentlemen, it goes without saying that the vast majority of Chinese antiques here come from the Yuanmingyuan, the garden of ten thousand gardens. As Steven just said, the French army snatched it from the Yuanmingyuan!

However, the painted incense burner in front of you is not an old object from the Old Summer Palace. It comes from Wuhan, Hubei, China. According to research, this painted incense burner was originally enshrined in the Dragon King Temple in Hankou, Wuhan!

On the back of this painted incense burner is engraved with the words "Made in Hanyang". It was cast in the early Qing Dynasty. At the beginning of the last century, a French businessman bought it in China and brought it back to France,..."

Next,

While explaining, Guy led everyone to visit the Chinese antique artworks displayed in this exhibition hall.

During this period, Ye Tian would insert a few words from time to time to correct the mistakes and omissions in the Frenchman's explanation, lest he lead everyone into the ditch and misunderstand these Chinese antique works of art.

"The three rugs on the ceiling are all 'kesi rugs', which are of extraordinary value. Kesi is the most traditional decorative silk fabric in the Chinese Han silk weaving industry that picks the warp and shows the weft, and is very appreciative.

Since the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Kesi has been one of the fabrics used by the royal family. It is often used to weave imperial costumes, imperial portraits, and imitation of calligraphy and paintings of famous people. Due to the extremely detailed weaving process, imitation of Kesi is often better than the original.

At present, there are very few exquisite Kesi products in the world, and they are often famous as "one inch of Kesi and one inch of gold" and "the saint of weaving". These three Kesi carpets from Yuanmingyuan are even more outstanding among them!

They represent the highest level of the weaving industry in the Qianlong period. Judging from the content, these three silk carpets should be objects in one or several larger Buddhist halls or temples in Yuanmingyuan.

...

Let’s talk about the large chandelier hanging under the silk carpet. I have to say that the designer who designed this chandelier is really an idiot.

What a beautiful cloisonné incense burner cover, but it was changed into a chandelier by that idiot, and it was matched with a Rococo-style golden candlestick, which gave people a nondescript feeling!

What's even more hateful is that the idiots who decorated this room actually punched holes in the portrait of Sakyamuni on the silk carpet just to fix this nondescript chandelier to the ceiling!

...

This is a set of cloisonne five offerings. Cloisonne is not uncommon, but such a huge and exquisite cloisonne five offerings are extremely rare, and few can be found in China.

I want to condemn that idiot designer again, Barbati, he ruined the cloisonné incense burner cover, and even this set of cloisonné five offerings.

This set of cloisonné five offerings is exquisite enough, but that idiot actually added a luxurious and complicated French golden candlestick to it, I don’t know what he thought!

Fortunately, these rococo-style French gold candlesticks are only inlaid, not drilled and installed, which does not destroy the integrity of this set of cloisonné five offerings.

...

The dating of this three-legged bronze round tripod is not accurate. It is not a bronze ware of the Spring and Autumn Period, but a bronze ware of the late Western Zhou Dynasty. It is an undoubted national important vessel.

The introduction about the Qing emperor's crown is not very accurate. It is the crown of Emperor Qianlong, but it is the crown worn by Xia Tian. This cannot be ignored.

Guy’s introduction is correct, but not accurate. This gold-plated turquoise-inlaid coral mandala plate did come from Tibet, China, but the date was not Jiaqing, but Kangxi.

The same goes for this ornate stupa, about two meters high, from the early Qianlong period, and the scars show how brutal the French soldiers were when they looted the stupa.

According to my judgment, this gilt bronze pagoda probably came from the Fanxiang Tower of Hanjing Hall in the Changchun Garden of Yuanmingyuan, and it should be made to enshrine the Buddha statue donated by a certain eminent monk.

This set of sixteen gilt-bronze chime bells is of the same size but differs in thickness. They are not so old, not the early Warring States period, but the early Western Han Dynasty.

But this does not affect their value. In terms of their exquisiteness, this is a very rare set of bronze chimes. What is even more commendable is that they are very well preserved.

This is indeed a Ge kiln garlic bottle with gold wire and iron wire. Whether the Ge kiln exists and where the kiln site is has always been the biggest suspense in the history of Chinese ceramics. This is a very good evidence.

This is the first time I have seen such a beautiful green jade water inkstone. According to my judgment, this green jade water inkstone with movable ears and simple shape comes from the Jun Kiln in the Northern Song Dynasty, and it is a collection of the "Huifang Academy" in Yuanmingyuan.

Hetian Yuding is so beautiful! This jade tripod is indeed from the Ming Dynasty. The sculptor who carved this jade is a very famous master of jade carving in Chinese history, Lu Zigang,..."

While making up for the gaps left by Guy, so that he would not bring others into the ditch, Ye Tian also admired the Chinese antique artworks displayed in this exhibition hall with great concentration!

The Chinese antique works of art displayed here are all open displays, except for a dispensable rope in front of the display stand, there is no protection measure, and every piece of antique work of art is within reach!

This behavior of ignoring the safety of antique works of art is infuriating and extremely worrying, worrying about the safety of these Chinese antique works of art.

A few years ago, the Chinese Pavilion of the Palace of Fontainebleau was stolen and more than 20 pieces of precious antique artworks were lost. The thieves saw this loophole and acted recklessly, and successfully succeeded!

Fortunately, after some twists and turns, those stolen Chinese antique artworks all fell into Ye Tian's hands and were brought back to Beijing by him, and the bad thing turned into a good thing!

Although this display method of Chinese antique artworks made Ye Tian very unhappy, and he kept cursing and complaining in his heart, but he would not let go of this god-given opportunity!

During the visit, he did not miss any piece of Chinese antique art!

He will personally handle every piece of Chinese antique art that appears in front of him, hold those priceless treasures in his hands, study them carefully, and have a good time!

Seeing his actions, Benoit and the other Frenchmen were very worried, lest he make a mistake and cause irreparable damage to those antique works of art!

Although he was worried, those Frenchmen didn't make a sound to stop them, and let Ye Tian pick up those Chinese antique artworks one by one, and enjoy those treasures to his heart's content, as if he was in his own home, strolling around in the courtyard!

Of course, if it were French antiques or treasures related to Napoleon, those Frenchmen would have a different attitude!