I had decided to buy a few things before I leave China, just to remind myself of my time there. I have bought enough fake rubbish and cheap tat. What I wanted was something genuine and old. Old was important, after all, are we not all sick of hearing how old China is.
I have been to the weekend antique fair at DuPuQiao a few times but not bought anything of any significance. I had seen the most beautiful jade rabbit the week before but had baulked at the price and so passed on it.
However I kept thinking about it and I couldn’t seem to get it out of my mind. I went back the following week but of course I couldn’t see it. However, what I did see stopped me in my tracks. Trying not to show that I had fallen immediately in love with it, I held up a magnificent jade ram and felt the weight of him.
I tossed it from hand to hand feeling the smoothness of his body and peered into the semi-transparent ‘spinach jade’. I wanted him so badly but was aware that I know next to nothing about buying jade. I started by saying ‘It’s nice but of course it’s not old’. He seemed to take offence. I felt the ram’s little snub nose and looked at his tidy feet carefully tucked underneath him.
I wanted him very badly. He gave me a price which was too high. I decided to give myself some thinking space so I walked away and looked at a few other nice pieces of jade. But of course, I couldn’t get the ram out of my mind. I could not possibly leave the market without him.
Ten minutes later I returned to the rug on the floor on which were carefully placed a small selection of jade items. He was still there, looking at me… the ram. I offered the jade trader one third of what he asked and settled for half the asking price.
He was expensive but I have had so much enjoyment from him already. I cannot stop touching him and stroking him and thinking of how many hands he has gone through before he reached mine.
And yes, I did get a second expert opinion on him after I bought him and it seems he is the real thing, a very very very old piece of Chinese jade. The only problem now is that I seem to have developed a bit of an obsession with old jade. I was back at the market this weekend and made an offer on an expensive but utterly beautiful Han dynasty jade bear.
I still cannot stop thinking about him – but we couldn’t agree on the price and I walked away. I have my original ram treasure now and I’m quite pleased to be leaving China in three weeks because if I stayed I think I would spend all my money on old jade.