Chapter 42

"Right, very right..."

At this moment, the old man smiled and nodded gently, "During a certain period, Mr. Fu's works were characterized by light paper and heavy ink. When we authenticate his works, we often start with these two aspects."

As he spoke, the old man looked at Qi Xiang and then at the others, kindly advising, "Of course, just looking at the paper and ink can be somewhat biased. The most reliable method is to consider everything comprehensively, which is more thorough."

A quick-witted person hurriedly clasped his hands and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Old Master Sun..."

"The term 'guidance' is too much. After all, even if I explain, you may not fully understand," the old man smiled, "Remember, what is learned from books is shallow; true knowledge comes from practice."

"Exactly, no matter how much we talk, even if we repeat it a hundred times, it's not as effective as you carefully exploring it once."

An old man beside him casually added, "By the way, which one is the third forgery?"

"Number seventeen, the Spring Outing painting," Qi Xiang said without hesitation, "The signs of aging are too obvious. The paper is yellowed terribly, clearly soaked in tea water and then steamed in a steamer before being dried..."

The old man immediately laughed upon hearing this.

That painting was like a freebie; if Qi Xiang couldn't spot it, it would be a waste. Anyway, the others also thought it would be strange if Qi Xiang couldn't answer.

At the same time, someone else asked, "What is the number of the fourth forgery?"

"Number twenty-three!" Qi Xiang said straightforwardly, "It's a facade trick."

"What do you mean?"

Upon hearing this, everyone except a few appraisal masters was puzzled.

"Number twenty-three is a painting of several mountain ranges, with the rest being large blank spaces," Qi Xiang said disdainfully, "The signature and seal are marks of a famous artist, and the painting style also matches that of the famous artist."

"The forger was very smart, knowing that the more they did, the more likely they were to make mistakes, so the painting is relatively simple, making it hard to authenticate from the brushwork."

Qi Xiang sneered, "However, to make people believe the work is genuine, the forger deliberately put effort into the mounting. They used relatively expensive wood for the scroll and high-quality silk for the mounting material."

"Doesn't this make the painting seem very high-class to you?"

Qi Xiang suddenly turned his head and asked the people sitting beside him.

"Um, yes!" They all nodded, then realized something was off...

"This is a facade trick!" Qi Xiang smiled lightly, "If someone only looks at the surface and thinks it's impressive, but ignores the inside, they are easily deceived."

"Very well said!" Old Master Sun clapped and smiled, "Your explanation is quite fitting."

"Not only fitting, but also true."

The old man beside him agreed, "To make people believe the forgery is genuine, the forger doesn't hesitate to invest a high cost. They know that as long as it's done skillfully, they can recover the cost and even make a profit."

"Good eyesight, young man." The big boss praised, then his expression became more cautious, "Next should be the fifth forgery. Which one do you think it is?"

Qi Xiang smiled slightly, without any hesitation, "Number forty-nine, the calligraphy by Dong Qichang."

"Dong Qichang..."

The others didn't find it strange.

After all, Dong Qichang was a very famous calligrapher and painter in the Ming Dynasty. His works were already well-known at the time, so there were many forgeries during the Ming Dynasty.

Moreover, some forgeries were even made by Dong Qichang himself.

It is said that at the time, there were too many people requesting paintings, and Dong Qichang was annoyed but couldn't refuse. So he hired many ghostwriters, and after they finished the paintings, he would sign and stamp them.

These social calligraphy and paintings flooded the market, leading to a mix of good and bad works, making it hard to distinguish between genuine and fake, a situation widely recognized.

In fact, just seeing Dong Qichang's name, many people's first reaction is to doubt whether the work is a copy or a forgery, which is a kind of fixed mindset.

But the irony is that this fixed mindset is right nine times out of ten...

At this moment, the big boss asked as a matter of routine, "Is there anything wrong with this calligraphy?"

"Very wrong." Qi Xiang explained, "This is a regular script calligraphy. Dong Qichang's calligraphy is known for his cursive and running script. However, he was also very proud of his regular script, especially his small regular script."

"In the late Ming Dynasty, the calligraphy of Zhao Mengfu and Wen Zhengming was very popular among scholars. Dong Qichang was also influenced, but he did not stick to tradition. Instead, he combined the styles of the Jin, Tang, Song, and Yuan dynasties, forming his own unique style."

Qi Xiang commented, "His calligraphy is graceful and ethereal, with a natural charm. The strokes are smooth and elegant, simple and ancient. In terms of composition, the characters and lines are arranged in a sparse and balanced manner."

"His use of ink is also very skillful, with a perfect balance of dry, wet, thick, and thin."

"Some people believe that Dong Qichang's calligraphy represents the culmination of ancient techniques. At the time, his works were highly valued, and any of his short letters or notes that circulated were highly sought after."

"Even during the mid-Qing Dynasty, Emperor Kangxi and Emperor Qianlong revered Dong Qichang's calligraphy, giving it special favor and preference..."

Qi Xiang spoke fluently, then suddenly changed the subject, "Of course, these are not the key points. The key is the signature on the calligraphy!"

"What's wrong with the signature?" An old man's eyes brightened, and he smiled, "I don't see any problems with the signature. The seal is his seal, and the stamp is his stamp, so there's no issue."

The others immediately became thoughtful upon hearing this.

"Is it a ghostwriter?" someone asked in a low voice, "Is a ghostwriter's work considered genuine or a forgery?"

This is a matter of debate.

After all, ghostwriters' works generally have a style very close to the original artist, and with the original artist's signature and seal, it indicates that the work has been acknowledged by the original artist. From a legal perspective, ghostwriters' works should be considered part of the original artist's intellectual property.

Therefore, some high-quality ghostwriters' works often have a certain value. Some people even treat ghostwriters' works as genuine and are willing to pay a high price for them.

However, from an artistic perspective, any work not personally created by the original artist is not genuine.

But to be fair, ghostwriters' works cannot be classified as forgeries, and can be considered high-quality imitations.

It's important to note that in the terminology of antiques, only new imitations can be called forgeries. Other old, ancient, or old imitations, due to their age, are considered antiques and have moved beyond the category of forgeries.

This creates a dilemma.

If this calligraphy by Dong Qichang is indeed a ghostwriter's work, should it be classified as a forgery?

Classifying it as a forgery seems to contradict the general public's understanding.

Not classifying it as a forgery, but it's not genuine either.

Headache...

While some people were puzzled, Qi Xiang shook his head lightly, "This calligraphy is not a ghostwriter's work, but the signature is indeed genuine."

"Huh?"

The others were stunned, confused, and puzzled. They didn't understand the situation and couldn't help but ask, "What do you mean?"

Qi Xiang smiled and directly revealed the answer, "Dong Qichang's signature is indeed flawless. The problem is that such a signature should not appear on a calligraphy with mediocre characters, a dull aura, and no artistic value."

"Ah?"

The others were taken aback, but soon someone reacted, wide-eyed, "Switching the signature?"

"Yes, exactly switching the signature."

Qi Xiang nodded, "The genuine signature of Dong Qichang is taken from elsewhere and then pasted onto the forgery. This is a relatively common forgery technique."

"I see." Someone suddenly understood, "No wonder I felt that the signature and the character layout of the calligraphy were very uncoordinated and awkward..."

"Me too!" The others nodded in agreement.

These people were enthusiastically discussing, but they didn't notice the appreciative looks in the eyes of a few old men.

In contrast, the big boss's mood was a bit complicated. He didn't mind spending a few million on advertising, but he was somewhat reluctant when someone actually won the prize.

Now, Qi Xiang was making rapid progress, overcoming obstacles one after another, and was on the verge of a decisive victory.

The big boss suddenly fell silent, but Old Master Sun, with great interest, continued to ask, "Next is the sixth forgery. Which one do you think is problematic?"

"Number sixty..." Qi Xiang spoke calmly.

"What about the seventh forgery?"

"Number seventy-two!"

"What about the eighth forgery?"

"Number eighty-eight!"

"What is the ninth forgery?"

"Number ninety-five!"

In a blink, Qi Xiang had answered all nine forgeries correctly without a single mistake.

"The last forgery, which work do you think it is?"

When Old Master Sun asked with a smile, the others finally realized that Qi Xiang had already reached the final stage, just one step away from success.

"Wow!"

At that moment, some were surprised, and some were delighted, and they all held their breath, focusing on Qi Xiang's final answer. As long as he answered correctly, he would have the right to choose one of the many famous paintings on the second floor for himself.

Such a prize is like winning the lottery, becoming rich overnight.

However, at this moment, Qi Xiang seemed somewhat hesitant, not speaking for a long time.

"Cough..."

Seeing this, the big boss felt inexplicably delighted and hurriedly urged, "Young man, Old Master Sun is asking you. What is the tenth forgery? Please answer quickly."

"No rush, no rush," Old Master Sun waved his hand, smiling kindly, "Let him think carefully. He should not guess randomly..."

"Yes, yes, yes." The big boss nodded on the surface, but in his heart, he hoped Qi Xiang would guess wrong and fail.

...

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