Chapter 693: Chapter 690 The Chairmanship

“This is indeed authentic, genuine Qianlong imperial porcelain, valued at around two hundred thousand yuan. If it were to go to auction, it might fetch even more.” After examining it, Shi Qingyun nodded affirmatively, confirming Huo Sining’s appraisal result.

The female host’s face revealed a smile, “Professor Shi is truly an expert in the field of porcelain, his insights are spot-on. His talent is really beyond the reach of ordinary people!”

This woman was flattering Shi Qingyun, yet she completely ignored the real contributor, Huo Sining, as if she had forgotten about her.

Huo Sining didn’t mind, but she was somewhat puzzled. Ever since she had come here to record the show, she had never interacted with this host. Why would this woman target her for no reason? It was quite baffling.

Yao Yujia intentionally neglected Huo Sining, but Shi Qingyun didn’t dare take credit for Huo Sining’s accomplishment. He smiled readily, “This wasn’t my appraisal; it’s Miss Huo’s keen eye that’s impressive. Miss Huo is learned and talented, not just in jade artifacts, but she also researches various other types of miscellaneous items. She truly inherited Elder Master Zhou Shitao’s genuine teachings. I believe everyone here can see for themselves what level of ability Miss Huo has.”

The smile on the host’s face faltered momentarily, as she glanced somewhat unnaturally towards Huo Sining but still nodded with a smile,

“Just now, Miss Huo gave us a demonstration of her skills and it was truly dazzling. So, what are the friends in the audience waiting for? Come and join our ‘Folk Treasure Hunt’ team!”

The audience also looked at Huo Sining with new respect; previous questions and suspicions had vanished, and they were eager to try.

At Huo Sining’s end, the appraisal was justified and clear-cut, not long-winded. Although she got straight to the point, she was very convincing, and soon, a long line had formed at her station.

“Miss Huo, this is what I bought from my travels to Nanyang the year before last…”

“Teacher Huo, please take a look at this item for me…”

“Expert Huo, please help me check this manuscript…”

More and more people sought Huo Sining for the appraisal of their treasures, and she stepped into the role of the expert. Although she had to employ Heavenly Eye from time to time to discern the authenticity of items, this also broadened Huo Sining’s knowledge a great deal.

Time flew by, and soon the morning’s preliminary selections were about to end. Thanks to the strict controls by the organizers and Huo Sining’s quick appraisals, she was the first to finish.

The other experts only had a few people left at their stations, when at that moment, a middle-aged man in his forties or fifties appeared in front of Xu Shilong, carrying a chair.

There had been others who had brought furniture like chairs, tea tables, and dressing boxes before, so Huo Sining didn’t find anything strange about it.

Xu Shilong briefly glanced at it and before he could ask, the middle-aged man started to explain on his own:

“Teacher Xu, this armchair is made entirely from genuine rosewood, a treasure from the mid-Ming period. I went through a lot of trouble to acquire this chair, making several trips to Shandong. Take a look at the dragon pattern carved on it…”

While talking, the middle-aged man was showing off his chair to the audience, but Huo Sining only took one look and couldn’t help but shake her head.

The so-called official’s chair is a type of ancient furniture. The common phrase “to sit on which official’s chair” actually originates from this kind of chair, referring to the one this man is holding in his hands. In ancient times, like the official’s hat chair, it implied the meaning of being an official or someone in power.

If it truly were a Ming Dynasty red sandalwood official’s chair that had survived intact until now, the price would start at least in the millions.

However, this middle-aged man was bragging too much; this chair was nothing more than a Taishi Chair, a product from the late Qing to early Republican period.

Although the chair was made of redwood, it had nothing to do with Xiao Chen Zitan, and its condition was not good; there being only a single, lonely piece, the price couldn’t go very high. If someone really liked it and wanted to buy, a few thousand yuan would suffice to add it to their collection.

It appeared that Huo Sining’s shaking of her head had caught the attention of the host, who showed a glint of sharpness in his eyes before abruptly asking, “Miss Huo, I just saw you shaking your head. Do you think this chair is a fake?”

The middle-aged man, who was boasting about his chair, immediately turned his head upon hearing Yao Yujia’s question, his expression darkening as he looked at Huo Sining, “Miss Huo, what do you mean by saying it’s fake?”

Huo Sining lifted her head and glanced at Yao Yujia indifferently, then shrugged her shoulders and said, “That wasn’t what I said.”

But the middle-aged man was not willing to relent, “Then Miss Huo, what do you think of my chair?”

Huo Sining, unlike Yao Yujia, naturally knew the rules of the antiques circle. Although she was knowledgeable in appraisal, she could not take someone else’s livelihood, and said with a smile:

“Sir, I mainly look at jade artifacts. For this wooden object of yours, it’s better to have Professor Xu appraise it; Professor Xu is more proficient in this area.”

Huo Sining passed the topic to Xu Shilong, but Xu had been appraising items all morning and was already worn out. Now, he wished the middle-aged man would seek appraisal from Huo Sining instead and thus he said with a smile:

“It’s alright, Miss Huo. Your research on miscellaneous items is also quite remarkable. Why don’t we first hear your thoughts?”

Huo Sining, seeing the situation, knew she couldn’t dodge the issue and inevitably showed a trace of bitter smile. However, she immediately composed herself, turned her head, and looked at the middle-aged man with a serious expression, smilingly asked, “Uncle, do you know the manufacturing principle of an official’s chair?”

The middle-aged man was taken aback by her question.

Seeing the man’s bewildered face, Huo Sining knew he didn’t understand and thus explained, “An official’s chair is named for the crisscross pattern of its legs. The so-called official’s chair, in fact, abides by the same principle as the backrest strap we often see in everyday life; it relies on two horizontal axles to bear the weight of the entire chair.”

The middle-aged man nodded, “What does this have to do with the appraisal of my chair?”

“It’s very much related,” said Huo Sining with a smile. “Didn’t you just claim that your chair is a genuine red sandalwood piece from the mid-Ming period? That’s exactly what puzzled me.”

“The ancients often made official’s chairs mostly because they were convenient for movement and carrying. To my knowledge, although red sandalwood is precious, it is actually quite brittle and heavy, not suitable for making official’s chairs. The weight-bearing capacity of an official’s chair is on the two horizontal axles. Making such a delicate chair out of red sandalwood would mean it would definitely break under a person’s weight–it simply wouldn’t hold!”

Red sandalwood is brittle, and the material is heavier than the average redwood–these are its characteristics. If making a four-legged chair, it could be barely managed, but an official’s chair would basically collapse upon sitting. Therefore, red sandalwood is usually used to make small handheld items and is rarely used to make official’s chairs.