Chapter 296: Not deemed to be a fake

"It's absolutely impossible. Our department also has a special appraisal master." The middle-aged man insisted that Fan Wubing and their bronzes must be authentic.

Previously, the security department in Shanghai received a report that someone was carrying several national treasure-level bronzes. In the future, they would trade with overseas criminals. The middle-aged man attached great importance to it and sent his most trusted subordinates to fully control it. He found Zhang Maolu's whereabouts as soon as possible and followed the clues to find his backstage.

However, the middle-aged man did not expect that his backstage was Fan Wubing, so this was strange.

The middle-aged man knows Fan Wubing's wealth, and the Vice Premier comes to ask for his opinions personally. How could he sell national treasure-level cultural relics for such a small profit? Isn't that unhappy for yourself?

But if these objects are all fake, it is a bit difficult to explain. Could it be that the appraisal masters they hired, and experts in the research of Shang and Zhou bronzes in China, are they all making a living?

"I think this is better. Why don't you invite your appraisers to come and study the authenticity carefully, and how can I repay my innocence?" Fan Wubing suggested.

"Okay, I'll let them come over." The middle-aged man agreed. As long as the authenticity and source of these bronzes are implemented, what else can Fan Wubing say to see? Although he has a good relationship with the upper class, he may have to explain this kind of thing, right?

Fan Wubing continued, "No, I'd better go to your place to identify it so that people can't tell that it's me who is in charge here. After it is spread, there will be no way to do it again."

Of course, the middle-aged man had no objection to this. In fact, he was also worried that Fan Wubing would not cooperate. Given his special identity, it was really inconvenient to directly deal with him. At this time, Fan Wubing was proposed to the Ministry of Security for identification, which was of course the best.

So the group packed all the bronzes, and several large items were carefully packaged for the outside, and then carried them out by the security department. Fan Wubing and Zhang Maolu followed the middle-aged man to a secret base in the security department, and the appraisal experts rushed over.

Several people had nothing to do. While drinking tea from middle-aged people, Fan Wubing said to Zhang Maolu, "Actually, I don't know much about bronze ware. Although I know a little, they are all superficial. Today I will tell you what you said?"

Zhang Maolu smiled and said, "Mr. Fan's words are a bit too modest. Others don't know you, but I don't know yet."

There were several people from the security department in the room. At this time, I heard the two people discussing bronzes, and they couldn't help but gather around. There were both ready-made bronzes and ready-made industry insiders in the room, so naturally they had to learn.

Besides, the smuggling of cultural relics in Shanghai is quite serious. Security departments often have to contact similar cases. Although they always have to ask an appraisal expert to make a conclusion on authenticity, if you know more about it, it will be beneficial to your future work. If you have more skills, it won’t be overwhelming.

The middle-aged man was interested in examining Zhang Maolu's level, so he said, "It just so happens that we have a batch of smuggled cultural relics seized last month. How about you show me?"

After receiving Zhang Maolu's affirmative answer, the middle-aged man asked someone to bring three or four bronze ware to the table and spread it out in one stroke.

When Fan Wubing saw that there was a bronze tripod that was 40 cm high, and there was a food box-like thing, with a lift button on the lid. The shape of the tiger squatting and dragon plate was not the Tao, and the other was a chime with rust on it.

After all, Zhang Maolu is an expert in counterfeiting. When she saw this thing, she laughed. "This is a typical Xi'an. There are many bronze ware unearthed in Shaanxi, and there are more counterfeiting farmers. The styles of these pieces are exactly the same, so it is undoubtedly a fake."

"Can you even see the fake?" a security department staff member asked curiously.

Zhang Maolu nodded with some reservations. This kind of pediatrics is really not difficult for him. At best, he can use these tools to scan everyone for literacy.

There are many schools of counterfeiting bronze ware, but there are only a few that are famous, namely Suzhou, Weixian, Xi'an and Beijing. Their main characteristics are that Suzhou is made with good materials, and when casting copper, some silver is often added to make the ground of the bronze ware shine silver. Their imitation objects are mainly Shang and Western Zhou ware, which are omnipotent in raw pits and mature pits, and they are finely engraved, smooth patterns, realistic inscriptions, and the works are widely circulated.

There are endless artisans made in Weixian, and they are good at carving patterns and inscriptions. The objects they make are mostly pit-shaped, but the walls of the objects cast are thick and heavy.

Xi'an also focused on inscriptions. Not only fake inscriptions were made, but also some real instruments without inscriptions were engraved with inscriptions to increase their value. The most common ones were to measure weights and measures, such as Qin Zhaopeng, Qin Quan, etc. This probably had something to do with the base of the Great Qin Dynasty.

The bronzes made in Beijing are mainly made of Shang and Zhou ware, with more emphasis on gorgeous patterns, exquisite shapes, realistic rust spots, especially ancient black lacquer, ancient green lacquer, etc., which can be accurately expressed. After all, it is under the feet of the emperor, so it is not so easy to make a living. Without some real skills, you can't make any move.

"These utensils are simple in style and structure, and the technical content is not high. However, they have to be buried in the ground for more years. They look like genuine products. Although this is a stupid method, they are sometimes useful. However, the products made in Xi'an are all replicas of some unearthed cultural relics, and they cannot create unexposed utensils. Therefore, as long as you have a good study of bronze utensils, you can basically find familiar places on these utensils, and it is easier to distinguish the authenticity." Zhang Maolu refused to say more details. After all, these are all based on making a living. To put it more elegantly, knowledge changes destiny!

Newly cast bronzes generally focus on genuine products. The pseudo-made or imitated products are buried underground for a short time. Unlike bronzes that have undergone slow corrosion for thousands of years, the surface of the genuine products is slightly expanded after corrosion and oxidation, resulting in a decrease in specific gravity. However, the pseudo-made products do not have this process and appear heavier.

On the other hand, after the deep underground corrosion of bronzes, the copper has become mineralized, so the pronunciation is mostly turbid. However, if it is a bronze ware buried in an extremely dry and pure soil layer, the sound of the strike is also very good.

The bronze ware cast in ancient block style has good surface finish, the patterns are even visible, and there are few air temperature holes on the surface, and even fewer copper liquid is poured into it to produce shrinkage holes. However, pseudo-ware castings through modern techniques often have certain sand holes on the surface, and some even produce casting defects such as shrinkage holes.

Several people spoke for a while here, and the identification expert invited him. There were three of them, all of whom were about 60 years old, so this was naturally understandable. Without decades of research, it is unlikely to be called an expert in cultural relics research.

After the old men came over, they didn't say much nonsense. They immediately began to study the bronzes brought by Fan Wubing and Zhang Maolu. Originally, they were very excited when they saw the pictures and materials of these utensils. They initially identified them as genuine products. Now that they saw the real objects, they of course they had to study them carefully.

After all, for those experts who study ancient artifacts, when they see the newly discovered ancient bronzes, it is like a wolf who has been hungry for three years and a lamb. Even the people from the security department don’t bother to answer when they talk to them. The three old men lie on the bronzes without exception, pat and beat them, touch and buckle them, smell and lick them. The movement seems a bit indecent.

"What can this thing smell?" a staff member asked in confusion.

Zhang Maolu explained, "Most of the bronze ware in Shang and Zhou dynasties are copper-tin-lead alloys. When you hit it with your hands, it makes a crisp sound. Because it has been buried in the soil for thousands of years, it has an earthy smell, and the newly unearthed copper ware has a stronger smell. However, after the Song Dynasty, it is mostly brass, and it has not oxidized or has a short oxidation time. When you hit it with your hands, the sound is slender and turbid, and there is no earthy fragrance, but it has a sweaty smell. This is because the counterfeiters often use chemicals, such as acid salt and sand, which are used as fake ground or fake rust. Although it has been buried for many years, there is still an acid smell."

An old man who was being identified heard this, looked up at Zhang Maolu, nodded and said, "That's right." Then he continued to lower his head to study what was under his hands.

After a while of fiddling, the three old men discussed for a while, and then solemnly said, "After our unanimous determination, these bronzes cannot be identified as fakes."

Can't be identified as a fake? What does this mean? The middle-aged man naturally felt a little confused, so he asked, "What does it mean that the three masters cannot be identified as a fake?"

"That means that the styles of these bronze utensils were first discovered, and there was no precedent before. Moreover, after research, we did not find that known counterfeiting techniques appeared on these utensils. Therefore, although we cannot immediately confirm that these are genuine products, we cannot also determine that these utensils are fakes." An old man said.

Now the middle-aged man understood, "What do you mean is that you can't identify the authenticity?"

The three old men nodded a little embarrassedly and admitted this statement.

In fact, to identify the authenticity of cultural relics, a large extent depends on knowledge and extensive knowledge. However, when you suddenly encounter an unprecedented instrument, you are helpless. After all, when you have no experience to learn from, experts will feel a little confused. What's more, the counterfeiting technology used by Zhang Maolu this time is indeed something that has never been used by his predecessors.
Chapter completed!