Douyin Dive: How Many Years Will I Be Sentenced For My Grandpa's Vase?
As a civilization that has experienced thousands of years of change and witnessed countless dynasties come and go, it's only natural that China possesses a startling number of artifacts. Those delicate wares and crafts that were once displayed on the shelves of ancient bigwigs have since been scattered around this vast land, some ending up in the hands of common folks. A grandmother's grandmother may have passed down a ring, or perhaps a vase was gifted by a friend who claimed it to be a relic of the Forbidden City. However, without proper training and years of experience, us regular folk would be hard-pressed to distinguish a real treasure from something counterfeit, let alone consider making a fortune off it. Luckily, there's a Douyin channel for amateur artifact collectors, hoping to learn more about their collection and even get it valued by licensed appraisers online.
天天鉴宝 is a platform that offers artifact trading and free appraisal services, while their Douyin channel features livestreams which open a window into some of the most stunning, silly, and even bizarre cases that the team has handled. Most of the time, it's relatively easy to gauge the authenticity of the pieces brought by collectors, however, the motivation behind the appointments is where the real viewing pleasure comes in. For instance, a girl brings a ring to the appraisers, skeptical of whether her boyfriend purchased a real diamond or not. Meanwhile, a guy humblebrags about his jade collection sourced from a mine near his house. And then there are the moments when this seemingly innocuous channel becomes a suspenseful crime show after a collector accidentally reveals that her father received an expensive watch when working for the government, or something akin to a thriller when another participant explains that he got his bronze ware from a friend who used to be a tomb raider.
And like any well-produced reality TV show, the channels' experts are far from your typically dry collector. Aside from working as gemologists and art appraisers, they deftly switch between cross-talk performer, relationship counselor, judge, and myraid other roles. It makes for some truly enjoyable entertainment, such as the time a viewer wanted to know the price of his jade cicada pendant during a livestream. Turns out the artifact was made with real jade and worth a couple of thousand RMB to boot. However, before they even got to that point, the appraiser had to candidly admit that the jade cicada – also known as 玉口含 jade in your mouth – is usually placed in the mouth of an interred relative to prevent their soul from leaving the body after death. All of which begs the question, how did this viewer come to own a jade cicada?
The show also features less scandalous, albeit no less rare bronze artifacts and pottery that dates back centuries. Despite the owners' assertions that these treasures are family heirlooms or gifts from close friends, mainland China's regulations and laws dictate that they have to be reported to local authorities, with people risking lengthy sentences for trading protected artifacts. As such, the show acts as both a warning to any seller with ulterior motives and educates the audience about artifact protection.
The Douyin channel usually hosts a livestream in the afternoon, when viewers "wait in line" to have their collection reviewed by the appraiser of the day, each of whom boasts a specialty or area of expertise, meaning that if you have a specific artifact interest then downloading the app 天天鉴宝 and tuning in for a particular appraiser is always a good choice.
All in all, for me, the dazzling gems and breathtaking artifacts are but a tiny part of the channel. Rather, it serves as a fascinating sociological survey. It is the people behind the artifact that truly makes the livestreams special. And in the reflection of these treasures, you get to see some of the most complicated human emotions, from greed to love, and envy to regret.
Read: Douyin Dive: The Channel That Will Make Your Inner Biologist Happy
Images: Douyin, 天天鉴宝
