Chapter 64: Zwiebelmuster (2)
When it comes to antique porcelains, most people think of Asia, especially China and Korea.
However, the porcelain 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
porcelains are both too low. Sadly, even Koreans don’t value Korean porcelains that much.
As for China, the porcelains 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 place leads the world’s porcelain industry now? It’s Europe, especially Germany.
European porcelains can be divided into two types: porcelains of ancient Greece and the imitations of
Chinese porcelains that were made after the 1700s.
Greek porcelains 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 porcelains.
After the 1700s, the development of European porcelains was influenced by Asian porcelains,
including Chinese. Especially the white porcelains with beautiful cobalt blue patterns, they
immediately caught the Europeans’ attention.
At that time, European nobles valued porcelains from China more than gold of the same weight.
Augustus II the Strong, King of Poland, even traded 600 dragoons with 151 porcelains.
As they liked eastern porcelains so much, they worked on studying and making porcelains. However,
most of all, the most important element that let them lead the world’s porcelain market was their love
for porcelains.
While the love for porcelains died and people indulged in western things in Asia, the original home of
porcelains, in Europe, people tried to make even more beautiful porcelains.
That difference changed everything.
“Is there a porcelain you want?”
“It’s not on auction, but there is a rumor that a porcelain made by Friedrich Böttger showed up.”
Friedrich Böttger was an alchemist from Berlin, Germany. He was the first European to make
porcelain.
“Is it really Böttger’s?”
Haejin wasn’t asking because Böttger was a great artisan and his porcelains had great value.
Although he succeeded in manufacturing porcelains, compared to Chinese porcelains, his were of
less quality in many aspects.
His porcelains would certainly have a symbolic meaning and rarity, but…
“As you know, early European porcelains were crude compared to eastern porcelains. However, if it’s
really Bötteger’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 plane, 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 porcelain 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 porcelain be worth all this? Even if it’s really Bötteger’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 Eric coming to Hong Kong for that Bötteger porcelain.
The porcelain itself would be not as good as the Asian porcelains 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 Porcelain. More like the European style of a Blue Flower White Porcelain.) in
her home.”
After Bötteger succeeded in making porcelains for the first time in Europe, in 1710, the first porcelain
factory was built in Meissen, Germany.
Nowadays, the three world’s best porcelain brands are Meissen of Germany, Royal Copenhagen of
Denmark and Herend of Hungary.
Royal Copenhagen, Herend, Sèvres of France, and Royal Worcester of England were all influenced
by German Meissen, so Meissen is the origin and the apex of European porcelains.
However, if you think about it from a different point of view, Meissen’s porcelain factory was made
because of China’s Blue Flower White Porcelains, so it is the charm that changed the history of
porcelain.
“Then, it’s practically a museum.”
“In fact, after knowing about porcelains 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 Korean landscape 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 porcelains much, the European themselves
could have a different opinion.
“Actually, my mother is the person who told me about this Bötteger porcelain. 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 relax 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 place, so of course, I should come.”
“You’re right. So, I also come 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 place.”
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
to come 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 porcelains, 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 porcelain 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 Bötteger’s name?”
Eric was guessing that they might be the initials of Johann Friedrich Bötteger, and it made sense.
“It could be.”
“This is not good enough to be in my collection. It is too crude compared to the porcelains from China
and Korea. Even the color is not clear, and it is not a perfect circle, so its balance is tilted. Hmm…
even if it’s really Bötteger’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 dull compared to China’s delicate pattern was the characteristic of the early European
porcelain’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.