The appraiser spoke to Jiang Hai in Chinese, and while Jiang Hai understood it perfectly, he still found it hard to believe. Isn't it said that blue and white porcelain is extremely expensive? he thought. Why is the price of this piece so much lower than I expected?
In his mind, this set of porcelain should be worth at least 20 to 30 million, not the million RMB they were quoting. Are they trying to scam me?
Perhaps sensing Jiang Hai's dissatisfaction, the middle-aged man explained further, "Mr. Jiang, your porcelain is indeed from the Ming Dynasty, and it's in excellent condition. It dates back to the Wanli period, but it's precisely because it's from this era that the price isn't as high as you might think."
The man paused to elaborate, "Porcelain from that time was valuable, but the production was vast. Porcelain from the Wanli period was primarily intended for export, especially to the West, which created a unique demand. But it was prohibited by the Chinese government at the time. Merchants could not trade porcelain abroad openly, so they had to rely on Western traders to do so."
He continued, detailing the long-standing maritime ban, which had existed since the Song Dynasty. "Even the Song Dynasty had maritime restrictions. It's recorded that in 985, the emperor Zhao Guangyi banned sea merchants. The Yuan Dynasty was also heavily restricted due to their lack of naval expertise, and the Ming Dynasty continued these policies. It wasn't until Emperor Zhu Di sent Zheng He on his voyages that there was any significant trading of porcelain."
The appraiser explained that, after Zheng He's return, the Chinese learned that the West lacked precious metals and other materials. The Chinese court then realized that they had a competitive advantage, leading to the brief lifting of the sea ban during the Wanli period. "This allowed for the creation of porcelain specifically for foreign trade. The designs featured dragons, immortals, and other symbols, which were common in that period."
"Porcelain from this era is abundant. Almost every auction house in China has examples of it. The porcelain was mass-produced, making it less valuable today. For instance, a single vase like yours is worth around 2.2 to 2.5 million RMB. Since you have a pair, I've doubled the price to account for that, so the valuation comes to over 1 million US dollars."
Jiang Hai hesitated, still not entirely convinced. "Let's leave these bottles here for now and talk about the other items first," he said. While he was still uncertain, he decided to check the prices in China before making any final decisions. As he sent messages to Fuyuan and others, the appraiser continued to discuss the other items, unfazed by Jiang Hai's uncertainty.
As Jiang Hai waited for responses from China, he found out that the appraiser's information was indeed accurate. The porcelain bottles from the Wanli period were indeed valuable, but not to the extent that Jiang Hai had hoped. For ordinary people, a few million RMB might be a lot, but to him, it was a loss.
When the appraisal for the entire collection came in, Jiang Hai learned that the pile of jewelry and other items was worth around 2.3 million. Although it wasn't a huge amount, it was still better than nothing. He shrugged, recognizing it was essentially a consolation prize. If the entire shipload of jewels were sold, it could easily be worth 200 to 300 million US dollars, but for now, the sale was settled.
The jewelry and porcelain bottles were transferred for 3.3 million directly to Jiang Hai's account. While this transaction wasn't extravagant, it was smooth. Meanwhile, the appraiser contacted his headquarters for security, since the value of the jewelry, while not high, still warranted protection.
As they packed up the items, Jiang Hai spotted something on the floor that caught his attention: a skirt.
"Hey, what's this?" he asked, picking it up casually. "Is this part of the collection?" The metallic skirt, which appeared freshly made, intrigued the appraisers, and they began to inspect it closely.
"Of course, it's part of the collection. This piece has nearly 400 years of history," Jiang Hai said nonchalantly, though he wasn't particularly attached to the item.
The skirt seemed unusual, and the more the appraisers examined it, the more they realized its value. A white man, who had previously shown little interest, suddenly widened his eyes. He grabbed the skirt and scrutinized it carefully.
"Nearly four hundred years old? Is this a battle skirt?" he asked, clearly excited.
Jiang Hai, still casually walking around, had no idea how valuable it could be. He was more interested in the potential to sell it, even if it was only worth a few hundred thousand. If it sells, it's a win, he thought.
The team continued studying the battle skirt for hours, bringing in more advanced equipment. By late afternoon, they finally seemed satisfied with their findings. The leader of the group approached Jiang Hai with a serious expression.
"Mr. Jiang Hai, do you have the matching armor for this battle skirt?" he asked.
"Yes, I have a set. It's just stored elsewhere," Jiang Hai replied, now more curious about the item's true value.
The appraiser's excitement grew as he explained. "If our analysis is correct, this battle skirt was specifically made for King Philip III. It's part of an exclusive set of armor."
Jiang Hai, now fully attentive, interrupted. "Wait, so this armor is really valuable?"
The appraiser nodded vigorously. "Yes, it's incredibly valuable. Our company will have difficulty covering its price, so I suggest auctioning it. Even with taxes deducted, you'll earn much more than we can offer."
Jiang Hai's curiosity was piqued. "Tell me more."
The appraiser continued, "I checked your transaction records—sorry, it's part of our protocol. Based on your previous sales, this battle skirt, combined with its matching armor, is worth far more than what we've offered so far. It could be worth half a set of armor itself."
Jiang Hai, now thoroughly intrigued, leaned in. "So, how much are we talking?"
The appraiser's serious tone reflected his confidence in the armor's value, and Jiang Hai's mindset shifted entirely. What seemed like a trivial piece just moments before now promised to be a significant financial asset.
And so, with a deal possibly worth millions hanging in the balance, Jiang Hai stood on the edge of an even more lucrative discovery.