Road to becoming the wealthiest: Starting From Treasure Hunting in the Cabinets-Chapter 668 - 430: Show Some Colors!
Twenty-three million, Sean Knight bought Zhu Daβs "Fishhawk Playing in the Water Painting".
Bunny Girl took the painting and put it in a scroll box on the small table in front of Sean. ππβ―π¦ππ¦π£πππππ.πβ΄π
Mike Whitmore was delighted and gave Sean a thumbs-up:
"Mr. Knight, you have good taste! I believe that in your hands, this painting will be great for both appreciation and increased value as a collection - alright, next up is the second auction item, a gold crown from the Medieval Holy Roman Empire Royal Family, said to have been worn by the queen at that time."
As Mike introduced the item, Bunny Girl brought up an exquisite jewelry box.
Opening the jewelry box, one could see the gold crown inlaid with gemstones. The three gemstones were perfectly polished and quite large, emitting a dazzling glow under the light.
It was indeed a fine item.
The design was delicate without being overly complicated, and it looked noble and elegant.
"Starting bid is one million five hundred thousand US dollars - bidding starts now!"
Hearing this, some people let out dissatisfied hissing and murmurs:
"Is a Medieval royal crown really worth less than a painting by an unknown Chinese painter?"
Sean chuckled upon hearing this comment.
Mike also seemed to have anticipated such a reaction and explained with a smile:
"Collecting antiques is about their provenance. This crown is said to belong to the Medieval royal family, but thatβs just an expertβs interpretation. Unfortunately, the collector couldnβt trace the crownβs origin when they bought it.
Moreover, due to some incomplete historical records, it was impossible to trace the original owner of the crown, so the valuation isnβt high - but itβs already quite high."
Although Sean was not an expert, he knew that antiques value is based on an orderly lineage. The folding fan used by a celebrity might be worth more than a gold bowl used by an ordinary person - thereβs no logic to it.
Zhu Daβs painting had an orderly lineage that could be traced and its past owners had stamped it - although the stamp maniac had ruined some of the charm, his stamp proved the painting had been collected by the Chinese royal family, and therefore increased its value.
Everyone understood Mikeβs explanation; some were simply being resentful. After the small interruption, someone made a bid.
Since the gold crown and its gems were authentic, bids were plentiful, quickly raising the price to eighteen million before slowing down.
The highest bidder was the man who had previously questioned the crownβs value compared to the painting, followed by a silent, sixty-year-old white man competing with him.
The elderly man had a lean figure and remained silent, seemingly deep in thought.
Sean gave the crown a glance and lost interest.
With the help of Sky Eye, he could see that the gold crown had been repaired, and while the gemstones were original, he had plenty of similar items in his spatial realm.
After all, the St. Roman Empire had existed for hundreds of years, and there were numerous emperors, queens, and the like during its time. This crown had no known lineage, so it wasnβt a rarity.
In the end, the old man acquired the golden crown for nineteen million six hundred thousand dollars.
Following that, two more auctions took place: a short sword from the English Royal Family and a gold scripture from the Indian Pallava Dynasty.
Ultimately, both of these items were acquired by bidders at slightly above their reserve price.
While the four auction items sold smoothly, the participantsβ enthusiasm wasnβt high, leading Mike to complain:
"It seems the auction items weβve prepared are well-received, but the atmosphere isnβt heated enough! Is it because youβve all aged?"
His words drew laughter and disapproval from the crowd.
"No, no, no, of course, you havenβt aged. At least, while looking at these beautiful girls around, you wouldnβt admit to feeling old.
So, letβs see your strength!
Next up, we present the first surprising auction item -"
He reached out, and two Bunny Girls carried a wide, flat packing box over.
"An oil painting by Monet Anderson: βWoman by the Fireplace!β"
There was a gasp from the crowd!
Even if they didnβt know much about painting, they had at least heard of Monet Andersonβs name.
This painter had a high reputation in the European and American art world. Once his works went to auction, they were generally snapped up at high prices and collected, no longer seeing the light of day.
Having a Monet painting up for auction was truly a surprise.
"Rest assured," Mike said, observing peopleβs excitement. "This Monet piece has been authenticated by two experts as genuine. Itβs in excellent condition, and you can now take a close-up look at it!"
Unlike before, almost all of the dozen or so people who came to the auction rushed over - except for Sean and the old man who had bought the golden crown earlier.
It took them more than ten minutes to return to their sofas, reluctantly.
Even after returning to their seats, they continued discussing the exquisite aspects of the painting.
However, in Seanβs view, what they talked about was similar to his own understanding, all laymenβs talk.
"Alright, weβll now start bidding for this painting - the starting bid is twenty million dollars, please place your bids now!"
"Twenty-one million!"
Alex Young was the first to bid, his voice loud and attention-grabbing.
He had bid a few times before, but it hadnβt been very frequent nor had it attracted much attention.
Before participating in the auction, he had noted someoneβs words.
However, Alex had his own opinion. Instead of bidding on many items, it was better to focus on bidding during important auction items in order to leave an impression on others.
