Sun Fuzheng reseated himself, and the cheongsam-clad woman gently placed the tray, laden with seals, in front of them. Tang Yuan looked at the seals, each of a different shape and exuding a warm luster, and a hint of interest appeared on his face.
"Seal collecting generally follows these two types."
"The first type is collecting seals for their artistic value, which means appreciating the beauty of the seal carving's epigraphy, the historical charm of the side inscriptions' poetry and prose, and the aesthetic appeal of the seal's leisurely and witty text."
"The second type is collecting stones, which means appreciating the translucence of the seal stone material and the natural perfection of the seal knob carving, with Tian Huang Stone and Chicken Blood Stone being particularly prized."
After Sun Fuzheng sat down, he took out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, then picked out a seal from the tray, saying, "For example, this shoushan tricolor lychee stone figurine square seal, although it is not from the hand of a famous artist, its precious material and exquisite carving craftsmanship make it a work of art."
Tang Yuan emulated Sun Fuzheng's actions, first taking out a handkerchief to wipe his hands, then taking the shoushan tricolor lychee stone figurine square seal from Sun Fuzheng's hand and examining it carefully.
Deep red, light yellow, pure white—three colors gradually transitioned, constantly changing from top to bottom. On the pure white cuboid seal sat a lifelike carved old man. The overall piece was naturally formed and appeared exceptionally clear and natural.
Tang Yuan did not just admire it himself. He held it in his hand and played with it for a moment, then handed it to Wen Muxue beside him.
"Elder Sun, does a square seal like this possess collection value?"
Tang Yuan asked with interest.
"Of course."
"The collection value of a seal mainly depends on six aspects: the user, the era, the condition, the material, the seal knob craftsmanship, and the purpose."
"Take this shoushan tricolor lychee stone figurine square seal, for example. Its condition and material are both top-grade, so it naturally possesses a certain collection value."
Sun Fuzheng saw that Tang Yuan probably didn't know much about seal collecting, so he smiled and explained some relevant knowledge about seal collecting to Tang Yuan.
Tang Yuan then asked, "Elder Sun, how much is this shoushan tricolor lychee stone figurine square sealworth, approximately?"
"I acquired this square seal from a friend ten years ago for 30,000 yuan. Its current market value should be close to 50,000 yuan," Sun Fuzheng replied.
Tang Yuan nodded slightly, but said nothing.
Next, Sun Fuzheng took out several other seals of the same caliber as the shoushan tricolor lychee stone figurine square seal for Tang Yuan and Wen Muxue to appreciate, such as the qingtian stone Beast Knob Seal, Shoushan Gaoshan Stone Beast Knob Seal, Shoushan White Lychee Stone Bogu Knob Square Seal, and so on.
These seals were all excellent in condition and material, thus becoming collectibles. Most of them had no seal inscriptions, and even if they did, the carvers were mostly unknown. The value of these seals was generally below 100,000 yuan.
"Elder Sun, you are a great collector of seals. You must also have seals from famous artists here."
Tang Yuan had seen enough of these seals that initially possessed collection value. He gradually became somewhat unsatisfied and turned to inquire about seals with higher collection value.
"Hehe..."
"Yes, I do."
"I've prepared them for you in advance."
Sun Fuzheng chuckled twice, then, from among the many seals on the tray, he again picked out a square, seemingly ordinary rectangular seal. After gently wiping it, he handed it to Tang Yuan.
Tang Yuan took the seal and carefully examined it in the light.
Clearly, this was a seal made of qingtian stone. The upper part was a celadon green, with some natural jade-like patterns, while the bottom was cinnabar red. The two colors blended gradually, creating a unique aesthetic.
"Wu Yun's, Mu Fu's work."
There were six characters carved on the side wall of this seal. Tang Yuan scrutinized it for a moment before he could barely make them out. Then he looked at the seal impression at the bottom, examined it carefully for another moment, and finally read the impression smoothly: "Flowers bloom, the moon is full, and people live long?"
"Do you know who Mu Fu is?"
Sun Fuzheng looked at Tang Yuan's serious expression and suddenly asked.
"Mu Fu?" Tang Yuan was stunned for a moment, then shook his head, "I know who Du Fu is, but I really don't know who Mu Fu is."
"To collect seals and not know Mu Fu is like collecting calligraphy and painting and not knowing Wang Xizhi."
"Huang Shiling, whose courtesy name is Mu Fu, was a calligrapher and seal carver in the late Qing Dynasty. He was also the founding master of the 'Yishan School' of seal carving. His seal arrangements are ingeniously conceived within their flatness, and his knife work is vigorous and firm, revealing a profound simplicity within its smoothness."
"At auctions, whenever Huang Shiling's seals appear, they are bound to attract competition from all sides. And this qingtian stone seal in your hand is well-preserved and in excellent condition. Even among Huang Shiling's many works, it can be considered a masterpiece."
Sun Fuzheng shook his head, feeling somewhat helpless that Tang Yuan didn't even know Huang Shiling, but he still introduced him to Tang Yuan, because for a seal collecting enthusiast, being able to share his collection with others is itself a joy.
"So this seal has such a great origin. I wonder what its value is?"
After appreciating it for a moment, Tang Yuan still habitually handed it to Wen Muxue. And Wen Muxue, after hearing Sun Fuzheng's introduction, was also very interested in this seal. She took the seal and observed it carefully.
"Six years ago, I successfully bid for this seal at the Poly Spring Auction. The transaction price that year was 410,000 yuan. If it were put up for auction now, its estimated value should be around 500,000 yuan or more."
Facing Tang Yuan's inquiry, Sun Fuzheng responded somewhat understatedly.
Tang Yuan's expression did not change upon hearing this, but Wen Muxue, sitting beside Tang Yuan, found it difficult to remain calm. The moment she heard the price, her pupils suddenly constricted sharply. Immediately afterward, she felt that this small seal in her hand suddenly became as heavy as a thousand jun.
500,000?
What kind of concept is that?
Enough to buy a brand new Mercedes-Benz E outright!
In other words, this tiny seal is worth a Mercedes-Benz E?!
Absurd!
Ridiculous!
Wen Muxue's naive worldview was once again severely impacted.
"A master-level collectible, 500,000 yuan is quite reasonable," Tang Yuan smiled and spoke again, "Elder Sun, would you be willing to part with this seal? The price is negotiable."
Wen Muxue, who had just calmed down, heard what Tang Yuan said. She subconsciously turned her head to look at Tang Yuan, her eyes full of shock. Although she knew Tang Yuan was very, very rich, spending 500,000 yuan just to buy a seal was clearly somewhat incomprehensible to her.
Facing Tang Yuan's gaze, Sun Fuzheng chuckled and said, "I've said it, I'm just an appreciator. If Tang Xiaoyou likes it, then you can take it."
"Elder Sun is generous!"
"Hahaha, actually, it still hurts a little."
"You've agreed, so you can't go back on your word, okay?"
"That's not going to happen."
"Keep going, keep going..."