As will be noted by the accompanying article, a large number of crooks Drey''on's gullible art-loving public. famous dancing girls of the Tang Dynasty. knows the position and standing of the various dealers and is unusually] careful when offered goods by one whose reputation is not of the best.
Experts Even Victimized Even experts, however, are sometimes taken Ju, and he is indeed 0 foolish person who says he has never been heated. The great weapon possessed by these -unserupulous people is human cupidity and the Tnability of practically everyone, no matier his nationality or Eis station {in life, to resist the opportunity acquiring what he believes to be a Fare and valuable curio at what appears to be a mere fraction of its Peal value, In order to achieve complete success, Rowever, the seller has not only to rely upon the cupidity of his victim, but also to make him eager and expectant, and {fearful that others might get to know about the prize which was almost within his grasp, and so cause him. Yo miss great opportunity.
the Arst stage in the game is to inform the victim that a valuable! curio is for sale and can be got comparatively cheaply, but great secrecy Must be observed or the deal will {fall through. Various reasons are given for this, sometimes it Is said that the owner Is a Manchu prince! or-a very high offal who is in need fof money, but who does not wish it to be known that he is selling his curious, Another time they will tell the tale of a young son or nephew of a concubine who has stolen the! thing In question, while a common' excuse Is that the owner or a certain member of kis family isa drug diet and must have money to satisfy his cravings, We also hear about some general who desecrated a tomb or who rob-{Bed a palace or museum and who will not sell the article in question anyone but a foreigner, as he afraid of his secret being revealed. Sometimes the precious thing actually placed in the palace of a prince of in the house of a high filo and the prospective buyer Is taken to view It under a pledge of secrecy.
Fire Sale I remember some years ago there' was a fre in the Lama Temple in Peiping and remarked that it was unique opportunity for snserupuous dealers to try and sell some of their fake curios. In the course of a day or two, a young lama called jat_my house and said that during the excitement of the fire they had smuggled away some very valuable treasures, Including a three coloured [Kangs! vase with: a black background, It T would go with him he was prepared to introduce me to the lamas Who had the precious thing in their possession.
"Although I know that this story was not true I went with him to the temple and was introduced to his friends who after taking us through several courtyards, led us to the top of a building where, with muck. secrecy, they opened a box in which reposed a large vase of the Kangs Jamile noire type. Tt was obviously a newly made piece but I thougt!
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.