The auction continued, with one antique after another brought up for bidding. Prices varied greatly, with the lowest items still fetching over a hundred thousand Dollar, while the highest bids had already surpassed three million Dollar. This spectacle of extravagance once again left Jake astonished. While he was still worrying about money, these people were willing to spend several million Dollar on something that couldn't be eaten or drunk, which Jake found hard to accept.
Dirk occasionally found items he liked and would place bids, but he remained rational. Once the bidding exceeded his estimated range, he wouldn't continue competing. As a result, he hadn't acquired anything so far. Nevertheless, judging from his demeanor, he didn't seem to mind.
"This is just a small-scale auction today, serving as a warm-up for the summer auction in three days. There aren't many valuable items," Dirk explained to Jake, "Of course, if you find something you like, I can help you acquire it."
"I'm not interested in anything," Jake shook his head, "But what do you mean by the summer auction?"
"JH Auction House holds four major auctions each year, one in each season: spring, summer, autumn, and winter. These four auctions are quite large in scale, with plenty of valuable items and a substantial number of participants. They are significant events in the auction world," Dirk explained, "Of course, the other major auction houses also hold similar events. So, if you're genuinely looking to buy valuable items, you should participate in these large auctions. As you've seen tonight, the highest bid so far is only three million Dollar. In the major auctions, the highest bids can easily exceed tens of millions or even hundreds of millions of Dollar for exceedingly rare treasures."
Jake was astonished by this information. The highest bid of three million Dollar at this event was already deemed extreme by his standards. However, according to Dirk, this amount seemed insignificant in the context of the larger auctions. Jake was coming to realize the madness of antique collecting.
At this point, the elegant hostess once again presented an item, this time a calligraphy and painting piece. With the host's guidance, she unfolded the artwork and displayed it to the audience.
"Now up for auction is this calligraphy and painting piece," the host declared, "The author of this piece is Jin Fei, a moderately famous poet from the late Qing Dynasty. This artwork was created during his later years and holds considerable collectible value."
Though the host's description was enthusiastic, the audience's response was far from intense. The late Qing Dynasty wasn't too distant in history, and unless a calligraphy or painting piece came from a renowned artist, it typically didn't hold much value. Moreover, most attendees hadn't even heard of Jin Fei before. How good could his work be? Clearly, this wasn't a popular item among the audience.
The host seemed to sense the lackluster reception of this item. His face displayed a hint of embarrassment, but since the item was already on display, the auction had to continue.
"Although the creator of this piece isn't overly famous, his calligraphy and painting have a distinctive style and carry significant collectible value," the host continued in an attempt to stir up enthusiasm, "Now, I announce the official start of the bidding for this calligraphy and painting. Bidding starts at 150,000 Dollar, and each subsequent bid must not be less than 10,000 Dollar."
In contrast to the previous items, where people would start bidding as soon as the host finished speaking, this time no one uttered a word. The room fell into an eerie silence.
Dirk looked at the painting and calligraphy on the display stand, shook his head slightly, and said, "It's not a masterpiece, with no significant collector's value. Starting price is 150,000, and I estimate it will fail to sell."
At this moment, the host standing next to the display booth shared similar concerns with Dirk. He had some experience in the field as well and didn't see much collector's value in the artwork. If the starting price were around twenty to thirty thousand, someone might consider buying it for leisure. However, with a starting price of 150,000, higher than the first item, who would purchase it?
"I wonder what the pricing team was thinking. Setting such a high starting price for something like this, it's like they're determined to make it fail," the host complained inwardly.
It's worth noting that the failure of an item to sell also had an impact on him, the host. His earnings were tied to the items being sold. The higher the final price, the larger his commission. Naturally, he didn't want any items to go unsold. Jake also glanced at the painting and subconsciously used an appraisal technique on it.
In fact, every time an item was presented, Jake would appraise it using his technique. He didn't have any particular motive; he simply wanted to gather information about the item to see if the host's description was accurate. It was a way to pass the time. However, this time, he had an unexpected discovery.
"Flower and Bird Painting (Fake): Created by the late Qing Dynasty poet Jin Fei in his later years, the painting's craftsmanship is average, the poetry is of moderate quality, and the execution is rough. Jin Fei: A late Qing Dynasty poet, known for his representative work 'Spring Breeze,' he was born in..."
"Farewell to a Guest (Authentic): Created by the early Sui Dynasty calligrapher Li Suzhi, this work showcases exceptional calligraphy and remarkable poetry. It represents the pinnacle of Li Suzhi's creations and was composed when he bid farewell to a friend. The piece is filled with a sense of reluctance for parting and concerns about the friend's future. Due to its remarkable quality, it has been cherished by calligraphy enthusiasts of all generations. Li Suzhi: An early Sui Dynasty calligrapher, often referred to as 'Li Shusheng,' he produced numerous works throughout his life. However, only a few have been passed down, and each piece holds significant collector's value..."
What was going on? Jake stared at the painting in disbelief. How could a single artwork have two appraisal results? And furthermore, one was deemed authentic, while the other was considered fake.
Jake wasn't surprised to see Jin Fei's painting in the appraisal results, but who on earth was this Li Suzhi? And what about his "Farewell to a Guest" piece? Where was it? Numerous questions filled Jake's mind.
The results of this appraisal left Jake utterly perplexed, especially the detailed introduction of Li Suzhi. However, Jake couldn't locate the actual painting of Li Suzhi's "Farewell to a Guest."
"Could it be that there's more to this painting than meets the eye?" Jake thought. He had great faith in his appraisal technique; it had never been wrong before. Since this technique indicated the existence of Li Suzhi's "Farewell to a Guest," then it must exist. Perhaps he simply hadn't found it yet.