Capítulo 1885: Chapter 1845: Auction Prices Soaring
Ye Qiu didn’t like these auction items; he just wanted to bring Liu Lingxiu to broaden her horizons.
Like the auction houses in the Capital City, this place had beco very developed, showcasing the auction items at the scene and using PPT to introduce the items in detail.
Now Ye Qiu saw a middle-aged man in a suit, who appeared to be a standard French Gallic, introducing the first item for auction in detail. Actually, it was a piece of blue and white porcelain—an exquisite Yuan dynasty blue and white porcelain jar known as “Guiguzi Down the Mountain,” standing at 27.5 cm high with a diater of 33 cm. The jar depicted the scene of the famous Warring States scholar Guiguzi descending the mountain, with a delicate painting style, drawing inspiration from woodblock prints of the sa period. The Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain jar “Guiguzi Descending the Mountain” reportedly existed only in seven pieces,
Furthermore, it was said that this blue and white porcelain was the previously unrecorded eighth piece among the Yuan Dynasty jars.
Thus, there were many bidders.
After the auctioneer introduced this piece, as the bidding progressed, Liu Lingxiu was surprised by how wealthy these people were.
On the screen, the auction prices kept flashing.
From March 2005, this Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain jar “Guiguzi Down the Mountain” toured places like New York, Japan, Hong Kong, East Sea, the Capital City, the Netherlands, and France, enhancing people’s appreciation of the collection and naturally elevating its valuation.
Starting at a base price of one million euros, seven to eight people participated. So renowned collectors from Huaxia specifically ca to place bids to acquire this Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain.
Additionally, there were private collectors bidding over the phone. When the bidding reached ten million euros, six or seven people were still raising their bids. Collector Wang Dingqian estimated it to be around eight million euros, setting the highest supporting point at ten million euros. After multiple rounds of telephone and in-person bidding, London antique dealer Giuseppe Eskenazi eventually claid this 700-year-old blue and white porcelain jar for 15.688 million euros.
Ye Qiu felt indifferent, but Liu Lingxiu was deeply shocked for the first ti—it felt like a bidding war where everyone was driving up the price and competing.
There’s an ancient Huaxia saying, “In prosperous tis, antiques; in chaotic tis, gold.”
Europe was essentially in a prosperous state, so, at many tis, these antiques were really welcod by people from Europe and Arica, who found them to have great collectible value.
In recent years, dostically, there had been significant developnt, and many lost artifacts were repurchased through various thods.
Of course, intentionally inflating prices might be involved, especially for antiques from Huaxia.
…
After the first item, the auction moved on to the second piece, and Ye Qiu kept watching even though he felt sowhat drowsy.
The Gauthier Family mbers were slightly disappointed seeing Ye Qiu’s drowsy state, wondering how he could feel sleepy at such an important occasion.
Until two in the afternoon, the auction paused for lunch. Ye Qiu, Louise, Liu Lingxiu, and a few Gauthier Family mbers went to a nearby restaurant for a al.
Just earlier, neither the Gauthier Family nor many wealthy individuals had made a bid because they were waiting for the “Father and Son” oil painting.
The initial starting price was rumored to be one hundred million euros, but now it was heard to have reached two hundred million euros in private offers—equivalent to sixteen billion Huaxia Yuan.
Back then, Ye Qiu sold to a middle-aged man for only twenty million; unexpectedly, it appreciated tenfold shortly after, showing how valuable it was.
The Gauthier Family mbers didn’t speak during the al but discussed the “Father and Son” oil painting afterward.
They felt three hundred million euros was worth it, given its significant representative value, not to ntion it appeared to be a masterwork by the most outstanding artist in Europe and Arica in recent years.
Moreover, its connection to the Italian Mafia Organization offered excellent insights into studying the Mafia.
Ye Qiu rely smiled when hearing their discussion, saying nothing.
After lunch, as everyone returned to the auction house where female staff served coffee, the hospitality was comndable.
However, everyone was more focused on bidding for desired pieces, paying little attention to eating and drinking.
At 2:40 PM, the auction resud.
Focusing mainly on ancient Huaxia artifacts and so African works, these items largely consisted of those seized by military forces from Europe and Arica, later passed down or across many families, eventually offered for auction now.
Ye Qiu didn’t show any interest.
At 8 PM, the final item of the day appeared.
This was the exquisite “Father and Son” oil painting.
The painting belonged to an Italian owner who didn’t reveal how he acquired it but ntioned the two depicted figures were the now-deceased Sirio I and Sirio Jr.
The Sirio Family, once the third-largest Mafia family on Sicily, raised questions about their sudden disappearances, provoking imnse curiosity regarding the background story.
The descriptions of the two figures in the painting, evaluated by other artists and critics, were highly praised, reporting no contemporary artist surpassing their skill.
The auction began with a valuation of one hundred million euros, with five hundred thousand euros added per bid.
Suddenly, previously silent wealthy figures, family representatives, Mafia Affiliates, and collectors via phone—everyone fiercely competed in the bidding.
From a starting one hundred million, the bids soared up to one hundred eighty million euros, slightly thinning the crowd but maintaining a frenzy.
When reaching two hundred fifty million euros, the Gauthier Family representatives withdrew.
However, they still believed it was worth that price.
Going beyond that price, the Gauthier Family found no need to continue bidding.
However, their withdrawal didn’t signify others following suit.
The bidding war escalated further, hitting three hundred eighty million euros—amounting to thirty billion Huaxia Yuan—and Ye Qiu thought it was too overpriced.
But Liu Lingxiu was baffled, seeing the latest bidding price flashing above, pondering how much it entailed.
For ordinary people, it’s unimaginable to spend tens of billions of Huaxia Yuan for a painting.
Despite her appreciation, she could not fathom the painting’s true worth, questioning why it was so valuable.
This was indeed more valuable than gold, real estate, and any tangible asset.
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