064 Exert pressure

In various historical records, there are mentions of the different names under which tribute porcelain was categorized, including "golden rim," "silver rim," and "golden-edged Ding ware."

According to the Song Dynasty historical records, in the fifth year of the Taiping Xingguo reign (980 AD), the Qian family from Wuyue presented 2,000 pieces of "golden-edged Ding ware" to Emperor Taizong of Song.

Such golden-edged Ding ware was exclusively reserved for royal use at the time.

Of course, golden-edged Ding ware can be further categorized into two types. Since the Five Dynasties period to the early Northern Song Dynasty, high-grade tribute Ding ware produced by the Ding kiln featured gold-rimmed mouths and gold feet to signify their nobility. However, in the mid-Northern Song period, after adopting the ring-foot firing technique, the white porcelain produced by the kilns began to exhibit a rim.

To conceal the flaw of the high-grade white porcelain's rim, it became a popular practice to wrap the rim with gold edges, masking the imperfections of such porcelain.

However, after Jin Muchen examined the pattern inside the bowl's rim, he could deduce that this bowl was definitely not of the second type. The pattern inside the bowl's rim was none other than the famous Chiwen pattern, commonly known as the small dragon. Such a pattern was not something ordinary golden-edged Ding ware could feature. If such a pattern existed, it indicated that the former owner of this bowl held an exceptionally prestigious status in that era.

Even if not a prince, they were certainly of royal descent, perhaps even a crown prince.

With this revelation, the identity of this bowl became unequivocal, undoubtedly once belonging to a member of the Northern Song royal family. With this determination, the value of this bowl immediately became apparent.

The development of ceramics during the Song Dynasty can be considered another peak period after the Tang Dynasty. While it may not have the same fame as the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it has its own unique historical significance and characteristics.

Firstly, if we consider the ceramics themselves, this white porcelain bowl may not be as visually striking as the blue-and-white or famille rose porcelain of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, but it holds extraordinary historical significance.

It's worth noting that there are only a few complete golden-edged Ding ware pieces known to exist in the world today, totaling just over a hundred. The largest collection is housed in the British Empire Museum, most likely acquired during the colonial era.

The second largest collection is in the Palace Museum on the island of Taiwan, where there are a dozen or so pieces of golden-edged Ding ware, among which, only one can be confirmed to have been used by the Northern Song royal family.

Meanwhile, on the mainland, the Palace Museum has only a few pieces of such golden-edged Ding ware in its collection. Despite many of them being ordinary second-type Ding kiln white porcelain, due to their scarcity, they have all been classified as national treasures.

Now, this bowl before him can undoubtedly be considered authentic royal ware from the Song Dynasty. While it may be a utilitarian item, its impeccable condition, rarity, and unique historical significance mean that once it enters circulation, it will undoubtedly cause a seismic shift in the world of collectors.

This bowl, hidden by its former owners to conceal its identity, had been coated with a layer of white ash, likely to prevent its true origin from being discovered. How it ended up in the hands of Grandpa Randy remains a mystery, and perhaps even he failed to discern its true provenance. Otherwise, with just this bowl alone, the Fredrich family would have had their worries alleviated!

After taking a deep drag of his cigarette and exhaling a long stream of smoke, Jin Muchen attempted to calm the excitement in his heart as best he could, then set the bowl down.

As he glanced at the other treasures on the table, he initially found himself dazzled by the resplendent aura emanating from these exquisite items. However, after examining the golden-edged Ding ware, these other treasures now seemed like mere trinkets, even bearing a somewhat vulgar air.

Previously, he had been calculating the prices of these treasures, but now it seemed unnecessary. As long as he could acquire this bowl, everything would be worthwhile.

The greatest joy in scavenging through old houses lies in discovering hidden treasures, essentially finding bargains by paying the lowest prices to obtain the greatest benefits.

And now, it seemed that the biggest treasure of the day was right before his eyes.

Initially, when Randy suddenly adopted a tough stance, Jin Muchen thought it would be impossible to find any bargains today. However, now it appeared that if he could secure this bowl, this trip would certainly not have been in vain! Of course, if he could secure it at an extremely low price...

He crushed the cigarette in the ashtray with force, then lifted his head. Randy and Helen on the other side also heard the commotion and looked up, smiling inquisitively.

"How was it? Done with your inspection?" Helen asked.

"Mm."

"Alright, let's talk about the prices now."

"For that vase, two hundred thousand dollars. Additionally, fifteen thousand for the pair of brush washers, and another two hundred thousand for the green-glazed square vessel... Altogether, it amounts to one million five hundred thousand. Mr. Jin, what do you think of this price?"

The offer wasn't low. Jin Muchen felt a surge of joy upon hearing it because from this offer, he could tell that Randy was somewhat clueless. While he had a fairly accurate estimation of the Qing Dynasty porcelain, he certainly hadn't recognized the value of this white porcelain bowl.

Jin Muchen really wanted to accept this price on the spot, but he knew he couldn't. Randy's recent behavior wasn't as bad as the rumors outside suggested; on the contrary, this lad was quite shrewd. If he didn't negotiate with him, but instead straightforwardly agreed, it would definitely arouse his suspicion. Perhaps, when the deal was about to close, this guy might even back out.

If this guy was determined not to buy but to sell these items through other channels, then Jin Muchen would just be missing out on this treasure right before him. So, bargaining was necessary, and the purpose was to keep this guy from getting suspicious.

"One million five hundred thousand? Don't kid yourself, Randy. I know you've looked into some market prices before, but let me tell you, what you know is from auction prices. And even those require a dedicated Chinese porcelain auction to fetch such prices. If you don't believe me, you can take these porcelain items to the antique shops in Manhattan and see if they'll offer you this price. If I accept your price for these items, I'll definitely be at a loss."

Jin Muchen replied with a smile. Randy furrowed his brows, clearly not satisfied with Jin Muchen's response.

"Mr. Jin, these are all genuine antiques, and they are all premium items among antiques."

"Alright, I won't deny that. Most of these are indeed genuine antiques, but only a few of them, like these vases, brush washers, and some of these jade items, hold significant value. The rest, such as this white porcelain bowl, while it can be considered an antique, are not worth much. You must understand that if I accept these items, I'll need to find a way to ship them to China, where they can fetch real high prices. If auctioned in the United States, the final sale price would be a quarter less than in China. So, how would you calculate the shipping costs involved? What about the customs clearance costs? You know the customs folks, according to U.S. law, anything categorized as precious antiques is not allowed to be exported from the United States. So, if I have to pull some strings with customs, it'll come at an expense. Additionally, after these items are sent to China, there will be expenses for organizing specialized auctions, promotional costs, labor costs, and taxes, not to mention the commission for the auction company. Have you thought about that? So, Mr. Randy, your desired price is really not quite appropriate!"

Randy's brows furrowed even tighter, although Jin Muchen made sense.

But he preferred to interpret those reasons as Jin Muchen intentionally bargaining down the price. This damn Chinese guy was an unscrupulous merchant who stopped at nothing.

"Damn it, if it weren't for Helen's sake, do you think I would willingly do business with you, this filthy Chinese guy?" Randy's face showed a hint of anger. He didn't like Chinese people to begin with, and this time, he was forced to deal with him. Yet this damn guy still wanted to take advantage of him?

Randy cursed to himself. Although his voice was extremely low, it couldn't escape Jin Muchen's keen ears. His expression suddenly changed. This guy cursed at him yesterday and hadn't settled the score yet?

And now he's still unrepentant!

"No, I can't go any lower than this price no matter what. If you don't agree, you can leave now!"

Randy couldn't hold back his anger anymore and issued the ultimatum. After all, doing business with a Chinese guy already made him feel like he was lowering himself. If he was going to be haggled down further, he felt it was too much of a loss.

Jin Muchen didn't say much. He stood up directly and walked to Helen's side. With a reach, Helen smiled as she slipped her arm through his.

"Helen, don't you think you should give your uncle a call? Let Mr. Gennaro know that there are quite a few good items here with Mr. Randy that could offset his debt. I bet Mr. Gennaro might value these items at one million five hundred thousand when he sees them!"

Jin Muchen addressed Helen, but it was said in front of Randy.

"Sure, I think that's a good idea. I believe Mr. Gennaro would be happy for Mr. Randy to repay his debt as soon as possible. Besides, if these items are in Mr. Gennaro's hands, perhaps we won't need to spend much to acquire them."

Helen cooperated with Jin Muchen's suggestion, then giggled and winked at him. The two turned around and left. Upon hearing this, Randy, who had just been assertive, immediately softened.

He had been a little annoyed earlier, but now, with Jin Muchen's words, his petty anger dissipated instantly.

What a joke! If they really informed that Gennaro guy, forget about one million five hundred thousand, if that ruthless fellow offered fifty thousand for these antiques, they should consider themselves lucky.