<h4>Chapter 64: Zwiebelmuster (2)</h4>


    When ites to antique porcins, most people think of Asia, especially China and Korea.


    However, the porcin industry in Korea has died with the modern age. Those that were left now were the old artifacts.


    There are a few artisans who keep the tradition alive, but the production and demand for Korean porcins are both too low. Sadly, even Koreans don’t value Korean porcins that much.


    As for China, the porcins of Jingdezhen were still there, but they were famous for imitating the old relics in great quality, instead of being of high-quality on their own.


    Then, which ce leads the world’s porcin industry now? It’s Europe, especially Germany.


    European porcins can be divided into two types: porcins of ancient Greece and the imitations of Chinese porcins that were made after the 1700s.


    Greek porcins were the essence of philosophy and beauty in ancient Europe. As they were made a long time ago, they don’t have a clear blue or white hue like the more recent porcins.


    After the 1700s, the development of European porcins was influenced by Asian porcins, including Chinese. Especially the white porcins with beautiful cobalt blue patterns, they immediately caught the Europeans’ attention.


    At that time, European nobles valued porcins from China more than gold of the same weight.


    Augustus II the Strong, King of Pnd, even traded 600 dragoons with 151 porcins.


    As they liked eastern porcins so much, they worked on studying and making porcins. However, most of all, the most important element that let them lead the world’s porcin market was their love for porcins.


    While the love for porcins died and people indulged in western things in Asia, the original home of porcins, in Europe, people tried to make even more beautiful porcins.


    That difference changed everything.


    “Is there a porcin you want?”


    “It’s not on auction, but there is a rumor that a porcin made by Friedrich B?ttger showed up.”


    Friedrich B?ttger was an alchemist from Berlin, Germany. He was the first European to make porcin.


    “Is it really B?ttger’s?”


    Haejin wasn’t asking because B?ttger was a great artisan and his porcins had great value.


    Although he seeded in manufacturing porcins,pared to Chinese porcins, his were of less quality in many aspects.


    His porcins would certainly have a symbolic meaning and rarity, but…


    “As you know, early European porcins were crudepared to eastern porcins. However, if it’s really B?tteger’s, it would certainly have some value. That rumor might not be true, so you don’t have to take it seriously. Just think of it as a vacation.”


    “Okay. Hong Kong is only a few hours away on a ne, anyway.”


    “You don’t have much to prepare, right? Let’s go immediately.”


    Eric spoke as if it was nothing.


    When they arrived in Hong Kong, a day had already gone by.


    “What is a German porcin doing in Hong Kong?”


    Haejin put his jacket on his arm as it was hot and humid in there.


    “Apparently, King Augustus gave it to a Chinese as a gift. Probably to show off the technique of his men. Maybe, he wanted to say, ‘Look, we have already caught up with you by this much.’ Anyway, we’ll have to see it for ourselves.”


    “I guess so. However, would that porcin be worth all this? Even if it’s really B?tteger’s…”


    For an artifact to be valued more than hundreds of millions on auction, just being old is not enough.


    It must have an eternal beauty, a philosophy, an artistic spirit, and something technical to impress the people.


    In that perspective, Haejin couldn’t understand Ericing to Hong Kong for that B?tteger porcin.


    The porcin itself would be not as good as the Asian porcins of the same period.


    “For that, and for other reasons. I am not asking you to help me for free, so don’t worry.”


    “I wasn’t… what is that other reason?”


    Eric smiled. Then, a Benz glided to a stop right next to him. He had made a chauffer stand by in advance.


    They sat in the back seat together. Eric said the name of a luxury hotel, next, he crossed his legs and looked at Haejin.


    “My mother is a huge fan of Meissen. She has hundreds of Zwiebelmuster (Meissen recreation of the Asian Blue Flower White Porcin. More like the European style of a Blue Flower White Porcin.) in her home.”


    After B?tteger seeded in making porcins for the first time in Europe, in 1710, the first porcin factory was built in Meissen, Germany.


    Nowadays, the three world’s best porcin brands are Meissen of Germany, Royal Copenhagen of Denmark and Herend of Hungary.


    Royal Copenhagen, Herend, Sèvres of France, and Royal Worcester of Ennd were all influenced by German Meissen, so Meissen is the origin and the apex of European porcins.


    However, if you think about it from a different point of view, Meissen’s porcin factory was made because of China’s Blue Flower White Porcins, so it is the charm that changed the history of porcin.


    “Then, it’s practically a museum.”


    “In fact, after knowing about porcins from China, Korea and Japan, people didn’t really care about European Zwiebelmuster, but my mother is different. She’s from Germany.”


    “Oh…”


    “People are all like that. We all value more the artifacts from one’s own country. You did the same with the painting you got from me.”


    “In fact, westerners are not that fond of Koreanndscape paintings.”


    Eastern paintings were cheaper than western paintings because the clients who buy paintings are mainly westerners. It’s not because eastern paintings have less artistic value than western paintings.


    That meant even though Asians may not value European porcins much, the European themselves could have a different opinion.


    “Actually, my mother is the person who told me about this B?tteger porcin. So, I have no choice but to buy it. Of course, as long as it is real.”


    “It’s a gift for your mother.”


    “Kind of.”


    They checked into the hotel. After that, Eric took Haejin and headed to the outskirts a little away from the crowded downtown of Hong Kong. Unlike the clean buildings at the center of the city, the buildings there were very shabby, and the streets were dirty.


    “That Zwiebelmuster, is it really here?”


    “I told you, I just heard a rumor. Just think of it as you are here for sightseeing. You should do that, or you will start thinking you came here in vain. You should rx to not get exhausted.”


    “I’ll keep that in mind.”


    One side of Eric’s lips curled up.


    “Your face says otherwise. Anyway, have you been to Hong Kong before?”


    “Yes, a few times. This is where the biggest auctions in Asia take ce, so of course, I shoulde.”


    “You’re right. So, I alsoe to Hong Kong at least three times every year. This city is called a heaven for shopping but, at least to me, it is a heaven for antiques.”


    He certainly seemed to enjoy looking at antiques. He thought if it was there, then it was all good but, if it wasn’t, then never mind. Haejin really wanted to have that optimistic mind.


    They arrived in front of an old five-story building. There was no elevator. Both the exterior and interior looked at least forty years old.


    The shop was on the ground floor. It was an antique shop which you could easily find in Insadong.


    Dling!


    Any kind of shop would have a bell like that. An old man well over his sixties came out from the inside.


    He was frowning.


    He had some red stew stains around his mouth, so he was irritated to have visitors while having a meal.


    “Are you looking for something?”


    As Haejin was fluent in Cantonese, he could read the irritation in that. So, he looked at Eric to see how he felt. He was smiling and bowing at the old man.


    “I am sorry to interrupt your meal, but Jason Chang told me about this ce.”


    Although Eric’s Cantonese was very shaky, it wasn’t bad at all. However, Jason Chang?


    Haejin remembered Jason Chang owning the huge oil painting shop he had visited with Yaerin. It seemed that Jason Chang also somehow knew Eric.


    At the mention of Jason Chang’s name, the old man turned slightly less annoyed. He gestured them toe inside.


    Inside, there was some food which the old man had been eating.


    He set another table next to the table with his meal and put a box that was 40cm tall on it.


    “This is it. Open it.”


    The old man sat down and started to eat again as if he had finished his job.


    Eric lightly bowed his head at the old man, put his hands on the box and slowly stroked it. Then, he lifted the lid.


    “Hmm…”


    A small bowl with a radiant blue cobalt color was revealed.


    Instead of Zwiebelmuster’s unique pomegranate flower (although Zwiebel means onion, its real symbol is the pomegranate flower), it had a Xian (immortal human with superhuman powers of Taoism) on a cloud depicted slightly crudely. It looked like a well-made imitation.


    “Well?” Eric looked at Haejin and asked. He couldn’t determine anything himself.


    “In the early days, Meissen factory tried to imitate everything from the Chinese porcins, including their patterns. So, they produced more of this kind of crude patterns than Zwiebelmuster’s unique pomegranate flower pattern.”


    “I know that. I’ve seen them many times at Augustus special exhibition. That’s why I’m confused even more. If they tried to make this on purpose…”


    China’s Jingdezhen can make this kind of porcin very easily.


    “Then, let me take a look.”


    Haejin carefully lifted up the bowl and examined it carefully, starting with the bottom. However, there was JFB engraved on the bottom.


    “Huh? Is that B?tteger’s name?”


    Eric was guessing that they might be the initials of Johann Friedrich B?tteger, and it made sense.


    “It could be.”


    “This is not good enough to be in my collection. It is too crudepared to the porcins from China and Korea. Even the color is not clear, and it is not a perfect circle, so its bnce is tilted. Hmm… even if it’s really B?tteger’s, only my mother would like it.”


    “However, you really care about your mother. That is good.”


    “It’s probably because I’m older now. I wasn’t like this when I was a kid. Plus… I must be good to my mother to inherit more. I have many brothers.”


    Eric smiled and winked. He was half joking and half serious.


    “Then, it is quite important. It is more than a mere gift…”


    “Something like that. So, you have to examine this well. Then, I’ll give you a gift, too.”


    Haejin didn’t know what that gift was, but it seemed like Eric was not talking about money. So, he concentrated on the dish even more.


    “Don’t forget that… huh?”


    Being a little dullpared to China’s delicate pattern was the characteristic of the early European porcin’s patterns. So, Haejin was not going to consider much the patterns but, among the crude Xian patterns, one of them was a little strange.


    Eric thought Haejin had found something and came closer.