Teapot exchange for a shop house

This is latest news from China reporting how a man paid 1500 yuans for a teapot in a local auction house and later somebody used a shop house to exchange for his teapot. It sounds a bit ridiculous. isn't it.

Well this happened in Hunan. In a news article released in the press on the 1st of August 2013, a collector by the name Kang Zihua in Hunan noticed that a teapot to be auctioned in a local auction house resembled one made by the legendary Gu Zingzhou. This is the classic monk's hat design, a teapot frequently made by Gu as it is his favourite teapot (incidentally the design was created by Si Dabin, Gongchun's student during the Ming dynasty).  He has previously heard how a Gu's pot could be auctioned for millions of dollars in major auction houses in Beijing. He went to take a look at the teapot during the pre-auction viewing. Although he could not understand what was written at the bottom of the teapot, he noticed the word Gu Zingzhou engraved at the inside of the cover of the teapot. The ausction price began at 1500 yuans. Immediately he told himself that he wanted this teapot.

During the auction day, nobody paid any attention to this teapot. At the beginning price of 1500 yuans, no one seemed to be interested in the teapot. So Kang sent in his bid and eventually got the teapot for a mere 1500 yuans. He took the teapot back to his hotel and examined it with his friends. They were all delighted to find that it is the real teapot made by Gu. They confirmed that the engraving at the bottom was actually Gu's style of putting his stamp on the teapot. It simply meant that he made the teapot for his own enjoyment for a lifetime.

Then a developer got the news and came to have a look at Gu's teapot. He liked it so much that he immediately offered Kang a unit of his development, a shop house with 200 square meter shop space. It was reported that they had prepared the legal documents to sign for this exchange, a teapot for a shop house. Well, if the teapot is Gu Zingzhou's genuine work, the exchange seemed logical as Gu's teapots are known to be hot items in auction houses. The highe price ever reached in auction was 17.8 millions yuans for a set of teapots with 5 cups and saucers in 2011. This year another Gu's teapot was auctioned for over 14 millions yuans.

Gu's Monk's Hat, one of his favourite shapes

Below is the news in mandarin

“壶艺泰斗”顾景舟创作的这把紫砂壶，在观贞拍拍的周末网络竞价会上，续写了现实版的“别针换别墅”传奇，成为湖南收臧界的佳话。红网长沙8月1日讯（记者 汤红辉 通讯员 唐雯 实习生 吴小娟）湖南的收臧家们做梦也没想到，传说中的“别针换别墅”故事，就在自己身边发生了。

　在一场艺术品网络竞价会上，湖南网友“湘渝168”以起拍价1500元的价格拍到紫砂壶一把，后被认定为“壶艺泰斗”顾景舟的作品。该壶旋即被当地一名房地产老板看中，并愿以一套300平米的门面与其交换。

　　今日，这一幸运网友在接受电话采访时表示，最终房地产商以一套地段较好，近200平米的门面的代价获得此壶，“我们已经签订了交换协议。”

康芝华介绍，每周他都会收到快递公司寄送的观贞拍拍网周末竞价会的图录。观贞拍拍是长沙本土的一个艺术品网络交易平台，结合现场预展和网络竞价，每周举行一场拍卖，每场700余件拍品，走大众收藏的路线，很多拍品都是无底价起拍，所以“每期都是随便翻翻图录，很少有拍品能入法眼。”

　　今年5月初，观贞拍拍竞价会图录上的一把紫砂壶，吸引了他的目光，觉得特别眼熟。该壶与北京去年的一场秋季拍卖会上看到的顾景舟作品很像。在那次拍卖会上，“壶艺泰斗”顾景舟的紫砂壶以600万成交。而

 

这个紫砂壶， 作为一名老收藏家，康芝华也曾听说过一些“捡漏”的故事，决定抱着试试看的心态，去看看预展。

5月11日，他第一次来到了位于长沙市五一大道省文物总店七楼的观贞拍拍观看预展。取出这把紫砂壶细细一观摩。“觉得该壶造型古朴典雅，线条和谐流畅，整体端庄大气，有顾景舟之风。而壶底部有一款，是一个篆书印，没有认出是什字。再打开壶盖，发现里面还有一个方章，为“顾景洲”，也就是顾景舟的本名。”

康芝华心里暗喜，下定决心一定要在第二天的网上拍卖会上，将此壶拿下。第二天，网络竞价会如期举行，421号“紫砂僧帽壶”终于竞价了！康芝华当时不断问周围的人“有没有愿意拍421号的，你们不拍我就拍了”。

“但是当时421号无人问津。”康芝华最终以1500元的起拍价竞拍成功。

回到娄底后，康芝华向圈内好友展示了这个紫砂壶。

在朋友们的共同研究下，底款的阳文篆书印被辨认出来，为“足吾所好玩而老焉”。“顾景舟制壶所用印款较多，其中也有‘足吾所好玩而老焉’一印”。为此，康芝华及其朋友都认为此壶应该就是顾景舟所制。

康芝华有一位姓聂的朋友，是一名房地产商。得到这个消息后，赶来一看，对此壶后爱不释手。找康芝华交涉了几次后，提出愿以手头一套300平米的门面与他交换。

经过多轮协商，最终康芝华在湘潭选择了一个地段更好、位置更佳的将近两百平米的商铺。

康芝华透露，日前双方已经签订了交换协议，但由于行内规矩，其中一些细节问题就不方便详细说出来。