This Nine Dragon Pattern Imperial Kiln Vat is large and difficult to fire, hence few have been passed down in later generations.
It is precisely because of this that there is no precedent for authenticating this kind of porcelain.
“Since that is the case, what makes you say this Imperial Kiln Vat is a fake?”
Old Han couldn’t help but ask.
Old Lei on the side listened patiently to Ye Fan’s analysis.
Although he trusted his own eyes, he trusted Ye Fan even more.
Since Ye Fan said it was a fake, it was almost certain that this Imperial Kiln Vat was a fake.
Ye Fan glanced sideways at Old Han. This old man was extremely cunning and would not give up until his goal was achieved. It was clear that he was trying to make Ye Fan look bad.
However, relying solely on treasure appraisal, he would never be Ye Fan’s match, even if he lived a hundred more lives.
“Old Han, why are you in such a hurry? Do you have urgent matters at home? If so, why don’t you go back first? We will notify you when the result is out.”
Antique appraisal tests patience the most.
Without absolute patience, one can never become a senior appraiser.
Upon hearing Ye Fan’s words, Old Han frowned: “Ye Fan, this is the Antique Association, not the noisy antique street outside. If you know what’s good for you, hurry up and appraise it, don’t waste everyone’s time.”
How could Old Han not be angry at being humiliated by Ye Fan like this?
Old Lei on the side coughed: “Old Han, you are also a senior appraiser. Don’t you know that appraisers cannot be casually disturbed while appraising? You are breaking the rules.”
Old Lei’s expression turned grim, and he reprimanded Old Han sternly.
Seeing Old Lei like this, Old Han, despite his anger, could only suppress it.
After all, he was the one who broke the rules first. Old Lei was right; outsiders could not casually interrupt when an appraiser was appraising an item.
Otherwise, it would be breaking the rules, and if it affected the appraiser’s performance, the person responsible would be held accountable.
Ye Fan waved his hand: “Old Lei, there’s no need to be angry. Some people have ill intentions and want to make me look foolish. However, since I, Ye Fan, dare to stand here, I am not afraid of these petty individuals.”
Giving Old Han a sideways glance, Ye Fan continued.
“This Nine Dragon Pattern Kiln Vat has an ancient appearance and should be a replica modeled after ancient pottery. It has a wide mouth, a short neck, a round belly, and a flat base. The style is robust, and the nine dragons on it are all five-clawed dragons, with auspicious clouds distributed around them. This signifies that this artifact is undoubtedly a royal item, but the problem lies here.”
Finally getting to the crucial point, almost everyone pricked up their ears and listened intently.
Feng Xiao, Fatty Chen, and the others were meticulous, waiting for Ye Fan’s explanation.
They wanted to find loopholes in Ye Fan’s appraisal and then launch a strong counterattack.
Ye Fan smiled slightly and pointed to the painted colors on the Imperial Kiln Vat.
“The five-clawed dragon is a symbol of royalty, and the dragon represents the Son of Heaven. Therefore, many imperial items of ancient emperors were carved and painted with dragon patterns. However, you should all know that emperors only used dragon motifs and did not feature other imagery. But if you look at the depictions on this Imperial Kiln Vat, besides the five-clawed dragons, there are also auspicious clouds, as if from a celestial realm. And within these many auspicious clouds, there are even phoenixes, although only with a few strokes, they can still be recognized.”
As he spoke, Ye Fan pointed to the auspicious clouds above, where indeed there were only a few strokes.
But the figures depicted were indeed birds.
“Since it is an imperial item of an emperor, why would there be a phoenix motif? Doesn’t this indicate that this item is a fake?”
Ye Fan looked at Old Han.
Ye Fan was so confident because he knew the etiquette and customs of the early Ming Dynasty.
The emperor was the Son of Heaven, and besides dragons, there were no other symbols.
The phoenix was a symbol of the mistress of the harem, yin and yang were separate, and they could not be mixed.
Hearing Ye Fan’s words, Old Lei was slightly stunned. What Ye Fan said made sense, but using this to determine it was a bit far-fetched.
Although this Imperial Kiln Vat was a royal item, there was no evidence to suggest that it was exclusively for the emperor.
If this were the case, wouldn’t Ye Fan be digging his own grave?
Old Lei’s concern was not unreasonable. Just as he thought of this, Old Han on the side snorted, “Nonsense.”
The old man then puffed out his beard and glared.
“This Imperial Kiln Vat is indeed a royal item, but it is not exclusively for the emperor. Could it not have been used by the Empress or a concubine? What’s wrong with carving a phoenix on it?”
Ye Fan shrugged: “Old Han’s words have some logic, but if it were for the harem, it wouldn’t be carved with dragon motifs. Yin and yang cannot be mixed. Doesn’t Old Han understand the禮制 of the early Ming Dynasty?”
Ye Fan sneered, his gaze towards Old Han filled with disdain.
“You…”
Old Han trembled with anger.
But at this moment, Feng Xiao angrily said, “Ye Fan, you keep mentioning the禮制 of the early Ming Dynasty. That禮制 was made by people, it is dead, but people are alive. Basing your argument solely on this point is not enough to prove it is a fake. If you cannot produce other strong evidence, we will certainly not be convinced.”
Although Feng Xiao was brainless most of the time, his mind became exceptionally clear at this moment.
His words actually left Ye Fan speechless.
Zhao Dong on the stage also had a grim expression: “Ye Fan, I know your eyesight is good, but this time, you are destined to fail. According to a piece of sheepskin that appeared with this Imperial Kiln Vat, it is recorded that this Imperial Kiln Vat was placed in the Kunning Palace, and it was a royal item for the harem, bestowed by the emperor. Therefore, the auspiciousness of dragon and phoenix is not out of place.”
Zhao Dong’s words served as a shot of confidence for Feng Xiao and the others.
Although Feng Xiao had spoken arrogantly just now, he had little confidence in his heart.
After all, he was an amateur when it came to treasure appraisal, not very familiar with it.
So, if Ye Fan attacked, he wouldn’t be able to handle it.
But at this moment, Zhao Dong’s words gave him confidence.
“How about that? Did you hear?”
Feng Xiao said with a triumphant smile.
However, Ye Fan shook his head helplessly.
A cold smile curled his lips: “Young Master Feng is truly naive and very interesting. Who said I lost?”
Giving Feng Xiao a sideways glance, he then looked at Zhao Dong: “Boss Zhao said that along with this Imperial Kiln Vat, there was a piece of sheepskin. I wonder if it recorded what this Imperial Kiln Vat was used for?”
Hearing Ye Fan’s question, Zhao Dong was slightly taken aback. He realized that this seemed to be Ye Fan’s scheme.
But he had already mentioned the sheepskin, and if he didn’t answer, it would be his own loss of face. At that time, Ye Fan would certainly use it as an excuse to refute him.
With no other choice, Zhao Dong had to say, “This Imperial Kiln Vat was used by the harem for storing water. Is there anything wrong with that?”
Biting the bullet, Zhao Dong stubbornly asked.
This time, Ye Fan laughed, his smile filled with the joy of a successful scheme.
Seeing Ye Fan’s expression, both Zhao Dong and Feng Xiao’s hearts trembled.