As everyone had expected, the snuff bottle was indeed unquestionably genuine. Everyone sighed at being able to see such a treasure while also secretly heaving a sigh of relief. They had truly been frightened by the previous two items. If this one had also been a counterfeit or a highly convincing imitation, they would not have known where to put their faces.
Amid the snuff bottle owner's smug laughter, Old Xu lifted the cloth covering the next display stand. Beneath it sat a bamboo-carved brush pot.
"This is a bamboo-carved landscape-and-pavilion brush pot with the green bamboo skin left intact." Old Xu smiled faintly. "Not only does this brush pot display extremely exquisite carving techniques, it also bears the 'Xihuang' signature."
"What? Zhang Xihuang's bamboo carving? Is it real?"
"Genuine works by Zhang Xihuang are extremely rare. Could you have mistaken it?"
"Old Tian, what kind of thing are you saying? Can't I have bought a genuine work by Zhang Xihuang?"
"Oh, Old Song, it's yours? Since it's yours, I'm relieved. With your mediocre eye for appraisal, I could tell without even looking that there's definitely something wrong with it..."
Just like the snuff bottle before it, the moment this item appeared, it attracted everyone's attention. This was all because Zhang Xihuang was a highly renowned bamboo-carving master.
Bamboo carving had originally been limited to flat carving: the portions bearing the images and writing were left intact, while the rest was scraped away. Although the bamboo skin was clearly divided into what was retained and removed, the carved designs consisted only of raised or recessed carving. There were changes in the patterns, but no changes in carving techniques.
By the Ming Dynasty, bamboo-green carving techniques had become more complete and refined. While carving, the masters could create variations in depth,