Collectors make big profits by buying old statues

CHINA A collector bought the statue at a stall for 400 yuan, reselling it for more than 12 million yuan.

According to The Value , at the auction held by Sungari Company in early July, the work of ceramic artist Ha Chieu Tong (1522-1600) reached more than 12 million yuan (VND 39.7 billion). The new owner of the statue has not been identified.

The previous owner worked as a salesman at a sidewalk stall. He once recorded a video of the statue and posted it on Douyin to advertise, then sold the statue for 400 yuan (1.3 million dong). In the video, the work is stained, has cracks, and looks old.

However, after being cleaned, the statue is shiny, displaying the words Ha Chieu Tong. Buyers bring the work to experts, then put it up for auction.

The statue is unwashed. Photo: The Value

The statue of Bodhidharma, originating in the Ming Dynasty, is one of the rare works of Ha Chieu Tong still preserved to this day. Antiquities experts of The Value site said that the crack in the statue is "violent", meaning that the fireman knows the crack but still retains the work, not considering it to be too great a drawback. This crack is not caused by negligence of the next generation.

The delicate face of Bodhidharma, the soft lines of the shirt, covers the arms and legs of the statue. The work is in the form of Duc Hoa porcelain, produced in Duc Hoa district, Fujian province. This type of porcelain is famous for its jade-like luster. The popular subject of the Duc Hoa lineage is the characters in Buddhism.

The shawl is considered to be as flexible as water, requiring high skill and technique. Photo: The Value

The biggest names of the porcelain line are Ha Chieu Tong, Lam Chieu Canh, Tran Vy, Truong Tho Son, in which the Ha family has achieved the greatest achievement. He focused on depicting the expression and charisma of the statue, making the works exude sublime and profane look.

Currently, only a few statues of Ha Chieu Tong are kept in museums. A similar work is located at the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Arts (USA). The Palace Museum (China) keeps a painting of the Dat Ma over the sea.