The first look at the type is to look at the shape of the utensils first, because the utensils made in each era have its characteristics of the times. After looking at the flowers, that is, observing the patterns, each era has its main ornamentation, and the shape is complementary to each other. Take it in your hand and look at the bottom, that is, look carefully at the bottom of the line, cast warts, gaskets, casting patches and reticulations.

The cast warts here refer to the copper liquid remaining in the pouring holes and vents, which are formed when cooled. Keep your eyes open and speak slowly, that is, you will see first and then speak, and judge after analysis.

Chu Chen carefully observed it with the proverb, and the bronze tripod in front of him was just like the first thing he saw just now, and the whole body was a typical feature of the bronze tripod of the late Shang Dynasty in terms of vessel type and ornamentation, and it looked exactly the same as the real thing.

This made Chu Chen feel a little strange in his heart, could it be that the inscription on it was really caused by accidental factors?

Thinking of this, Chu Chen secretly shook his head, feeling that this situation was really unlikely. You must know that the ornamentation, shape and inscription of a bronze artifact should be unified and will not be contradictory. Since ornamentation and form are both characteristics of the late Shang Dynasty, the inscriptions should be the same.

Just like dressing up, under normal circumstances, unless there is a special need or the person has a brain problem, it is impossible for anyone to wear a padded jacket in the summer.

What's more, in the Shang Dynasty, the tripod was a very sacred artifact, otherwise it would not be possible to say that the Son of Heaven Jiuding, in this case, the production of a tripod often consumes a craftsman's energy and time for a long time, so the possibility of a problem with the inscription writing is unlikely to exist.

Because of this. So although Du Shengqing said so just now, Chu Chen still had a big question mark about the authenticity of this bronze tripod.

But that's how strange it is. Although he felt that there was a high probability that the bronze tripod was an imitation, the shape and ornamentation looked the same as the real thing. He really didn't see anything wrong with it for a while. If in the end this bronze tripod is confirmed to be an imitation, then the level of the counterfeiter is too high.

Getting back to the point, since there was no problem with the shape and pattern for the time being, Chu Chen continued to read according to the proverb.

The inscriptions should be carefully examined, and the rust spots and the ground are checkpoints. This sentence means that the inscription generally has a fixed orientation, and there are some cases where this is not the case, and there is rust covering the inscription that affects the judgment. Therefore, it is necessary to observe the style of the inscription carefully.

In addition, the bronze rust spots and ground are oxidized by age, so the rust is hard. Divided into levels and sections, the ground is still clear. Fake rust is the opposite, so rust spots and ground are the key naturalists to distinguish counterfeits.

Also, the bronze casting flower is narrow at the top and wide at the bottom, and those who leave fan tumors and broken cracks must be true, and similarly, the casting inscription has fan marks, and the original oxide layer has not been moved must be a true inscription. Opposite. If there is fake rust and fake ground, lack of oxide layer or destruction, it is fake if it is not imitated.

And then, the more Chu Chen looked at it, the more surprised he became. Although he had carefully observed the inscription before, he still looked at it more carefully and found that there was nothing other than the way the characters were written. Other features are exactly the same as the original. In addition, this bronze is a familiar pit artifact. The characteristics of a qiē ripe pit do not see any difference.

This situation made Chu Chen can't help but mumble in his heart. I thought, what's going on? Could it be that the previous predecessors and experts summed it up wrong? In the late Shang Dynasty, there was indeed another way to write the inscription? It's just that there are too few finished products, so only the bronze tripod in front of me has been passed down to the present?

In fact, for this result, Chu Chen had already thought of it in his heart, you must know that it has been twenty years since Du Shengqing got this bronze tripod, even if it is an imitation, if the wrong place can be found so easily, there will be no today.

However, others can't confirm the authenticity of the bronze tripod, but it is difficult for Chu Chen, after all, he still has the ability to identify the artifact of antiques. So he immediately used the ability, and the result he gave also made him feel a little surprised, because this bronze tripod was actually a product of the late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China.

"At that time, who could have such a high level of counterfeiting?"

Chu Chen thought about it silently, and then thought of the bronze tripod that Du Shengqing bought in Su City, and he immediately remembered a person, Zhou Meigu.

There are four most famous areas of modern bronze antique counterfeiting, of which Su City is one of them, Su City's counterfeit ware has unique features in copper, skin color, rust spots, inscriptions, etc., especially the cooked pit bronze ware of making zuò is the most famous, and the whole vessel is fake, and Zhou Meigu is the most refined.

Regarding the falsification of Zhou Meigu, Ma Guoquan's "Biography of Modern Indians" describes it in great detail. Meigu is well-known in the art world for its management of seals, and it is easy to master counterfeiting seals.

Said yes: "good at imitating ancient seals, a certain age in the cold stall to get the old tooth seal, with the Song Dynasty seal method, the four words of 'Dongpo Layman', there will be a trip to the island country, when the island country people have to commemorate the birthday of Dongpo, Meigu to show it, if the master of the matter is a treasure, that is, to buy a huge value, and to copy in the commemorative concentrated cloud."

Later, he turned to imitate bronzes, and Huang Guilun, Tao Yingfu, Li Hanting, Jiang Baoshan, etc., worked together, each dedicated their strengths, a large number of imitations of Ding, Ning, 卣, 觥, 盌, Pan, Sacrifice and other ancient artifacts, beautiful shape, elegant and lovely. He has traveled to the east seven times and sold what he made. Wu Qizhou and Lu Qinzhai operated the 'Wu Lu Company', which vied with each other to make it and exported it to Europe and the United States.

Chu Chen didn't feel strange that such a person with a high level of bronze imitation was able to imitate the real work in front of him.

But what is fake is fake, no matter how it is, it is impossible to be real, after confirming his judgment with his ability, Chu Chen carefully observed this bronze tripod inside and out, and found a flaw in the decoration that looked inconspicuous.

After finding that place, Chu Chen stood up and breathed a long sigh of relief, even with his body, he didn't feel comfortable squatting for a long time.

Guan Guokang hurriedly asked, "Xiao Chu, how are things?" ”

The other people in the room also looked at Chu Chen with concern.

"I don't dare to jump to conclusions about whether things are real or not, so I'll just tell you about a place I saw just now!"

After all, the master is still in front of him, Chu Chen is not willing to say the result directly, besides, if he says the result directly, but the other party does not agree with his judgment, it is also a matter of offending people.

"Xiao Chu, you just say it!" Du Shengqing said with a little apprehension.

Chu Chen said: "The body decoration of this bronze tripod is divided into three levels, the upper layer is the prominent beast pattern eyeballs and ridges, the second layer is the main decoration, the lowest layer is the cloud and thunder pattern, and the three layers of decoration are arranged in an orderly manner, which is very three-dimensional. The foot is decorated with a hook thunder pattern......"

The cloud thunder pattern appeared in the late Neolithic period and may have developed from the cartouche pattern. By the late Shang Dynasty, cloud thunder patterns were relatively rare.

Hook thunder pattern is a kind of thunder pattern, as an oblique mountain-shaped line, hooked with a diagonal line, the general mountain-shaped thick line, the thunder pattern filled in is a thin line, and there are also mountain-shaped dotted lines, thunder lines for yin lines.

Du Shengqing frowned and said, "Is there anything wrong with this?" I think it's normal to have ornamentation! ”

Chu Chen pointed to Dingzu and said, "The problem is on the hook thunder pattern at Dingzu. ”

"Ahh Guan Guokang and Du Shengqing were extremely surprised when they heard this, and they lowered their heads and observed carefully.

After a while, Du Shengqing said: "It's no problem to hook up the thunder pattern, the portrayal is very smooth and powerful, it should be made by a highly skilled craftsman." ”

Guan Guokang also frowned, his opinion was the same as Du Shengqing, but since Chu Chen said so, there must be a basis, so he raised his head and prepared to listen to the basis for Chu Chen's words.

Chu Chen explained: "You two must know that the Collusion Thunder Pattern was first seen in the middle of the Shang Dynasty and prevailed in the late Shang Dynasty and the beginning of the Zhou Dynasty. And there are still some differences between the Shang Dynasty and the Zhou Dynasty, specifically on this bronze tripod, I have seen it from the literature, this kind of hook thunder pattern should be only in the early Zhou Dynasty, and the Shang Dynasty has not yet found it. ”

Hearing Chu Chen say this, Guan Guokang frowned and recalled that in the books he had read, was there really any information that Chu Chen said, but Du Shengqing's face began to feel a little bad.

After all, Du Shengqing's main collection is bronze, decades of research, so that he has a deep attainment in this area, before he felt that the hook and thunder pattern in the middle of the Shang period, so he did not feel strange that this bronze tripod in the late Shang period has a hook and thunder pattern.

In addition, these hooked thunder patterns do seem to be made by craftsmen at that time, and they are basically no different from the hook and thunder patterns of the Shang Dynasty, so he really didn't pay much attention to this aspect.

But there is basically no difference, it does not mean that there is really no difference, now thinking back to the books he had read before, Du Shengqing found in his heart that he really had never seen any books, and the hook and thunder pattern of the Shang Dynasty would be the kind of table in front of him.

Some people may say, maybe they didn't find it before?

If it is alone, it may not be possible to determine it like the previous inscriptions, but with the inscription that is different from the late Shang style, the probability of imitation is very large.

"Not carefully! Or I'm not careful! Du Shengqing let out a long sigh of frustration.

Seeing his father's expression, Du Liyu asked with a stunned face: "Dad, is this bronze tripod in your collection really wrong?" ”

Du Shengqing nodded: "Hey! In the past, the inscription was wrong, and it could still survive for a while, but now the ornamentation is wrong, and there is basically a ninety percent chance that it will be an imitation. Lao Guan, I'm really sorry for you! ”

Guan Guokang smiled slightly, waved his hand and said, "What's this, is there anyone in our industry who can stay eye-catching for the rest of his life?" Besides, there are many people in our industry who know your bronze tripod, and many people have come to you to see it with their own eyes, haven't they still not found the problem of this hook and thunder pattern? If you want me to say, the people who are still counterfeiters are too skillful. (To be continued......)