一、补盖记
　　
　　朋友从兰溪乡下回来，从老家带来了一些旧瓷器。知道我喜欢古瓷，他就将其中的一个同治粉彩的直桶形小罐送给了我。这个小罐的立面上用粉彩画了三个小童在嬉戏，人物画风系典型的同治笔法，釉面包浆明显，此物系同治年代无疑。缺点是这种当年闺阁小姐放脂粉用的小罐，本来还应该有一个盖。现在，罐虽留下来了，但盖却不知去了何方。因此，我拿了这个同治之物，欣喜之余，总感到还有着一丝遗憾。朋友说，你常跑收藏品市场，想法去给它配一个吧。
　　我知道，这句话说说容易，做起来却很难。不要说找到一模一样的，就是配一个相似的也像大海捞针，全靠碰运气。记得十年前我曾在安昌买到过一个嘉庆朝的青花梅花纹的竹节罐，罐子完好也就是缺了个盖，为了配这个盖，我在市场里足足找了一年多，但仍然没有找到合式的。一天，我在一个摊位上看到了一个大小正合式的梅花纹青花竹节罐盖，可是它是一套，有盖也有罐，而且盖顶的纽还有修补痕迹。我配盖心切，就问小贩单买一个盖行不行？小贩看出我的心思，就说要拆开买价格就贵。我想此盖来之不易，贵点就贵点吧。于是我花了比平时高两倍的价格才把它买了下来。拿到家中一盖，大小倒正好，但青花瓷色的深浅还是有点不一致，不过我只能将就着看了。此外家里还存有一个嘉庆朝双喜纹的青花小罐，也是为给它配盖煞费苦心。我先后找来几个盖，不是大了就是小了，最后没有办法，只得找了一个大小虽合适，却是一个宋代影青釉的盖。虽然年代不一，装饰风格也不同，但盖在上面倒也还算别致。补盖不能求全，只能退而求其次了。
　　有了这些经历，我深知为旧物配盖之难，如今我欲为同治年代的脂粉小罐配盖，其难度更加可想面知！不过我还是决定试试。我记下了尺寸，到各个市场暗访。但每次都无获而归，不是尺寸不对就是器型、纹饰不合。不过就在我将要放弃之时，却在一次去市场时看到了一个小罐，它的年代、纹饰和器型都对，就是比我的那个要小一些，但它上面盖的盖却正与我的那个吻合。我就与摊主商量。能否把那个盖让给我？我说，你那个罐和盖反正不是一套，有盖无盖也无妨，而且，我可以给你一个好价钱。摊主终于被我说动，我总算了却一个心愿。
　　盖子拿回家中一盖，无论大小、器型、纹饰都还算匹配，我庆幸总算配到了一个合式的盖。朋友来家看到了，也连称不易。
　　
　　二、觅石记
　　
　　我喜欢古物，也喜欢搜集石头，但以往只限于雨花石之类，因此兴致虽高藏品却不多，根本就谈不上档次。后来碰到一位藏石朋友，令我大开眼界，他的藏石不仅数量多、品种丰富，而且极具档次，其中有风砺石、玛瑙石、灵璧石，还有各种我叫不上名字的怪石。
　　在他的影响下，我也开始注意起集石的品种和档次。为了找鸡血石，我专门去了临安玉山，还到过江山去找紫金石。每次出差，特别是到山乡或产石闻名之地，完成工作之余的第一件大事就是找石头。那次和朋友一起去青海、甘肃，十多天时间除了参观考察，就是到处捡石头。从昆仑山口到戈壁滩，从河西走廊到黄河滩头，所到之处无不留下我捡石的踪影。一次汽车在戈壁滩上抛了锚，修车之时让我正好有了捡石之机。这次青海、甘肃之行，足足带回了20多公斤的石头。但是，经行家一看，却被贬得一无是处，只有其中的一二块还有保留价值。不过虽然捡石水平不高，但捡石过程中所得到的快乐却是别人所无法享受到的。
　　后来，我捡石走捷径，到花鸟市场去买。那天市场上到了一批西北来的风砺石，这种石头是亿万年前地壳运动的恩赐，经过千百万年的风沙吹打，才成了现在的剔透圆润之状，很值得收藏。有眼力的话，还能从中挑到一些精品。到那里一看，我开始随意挑选，花了我几十元钱足足挑了好几十块。拿回家中，经过组合搭配，拼成了20多组。现在，我的书架上，已有了风砺石的小鸡、母鸡、鹦鹉、绵羊、幼虎、海狸、猛狮、灵龟等各种动物造型，还有粗看不像什么却又似乎像点什么的耐人寻味的抽象造型。这些颜色各异晶莹剔透玛瑙质地的风砺石，确实给我的书房增色不少，给我在写作之余，有一种欣赏陶然之乐。它们并非人工雕凿，显示出了大自然鬼斧神工的奇妙之力。每有朋友来小坐，我则可以以此来炫耀一番。
　　集石的乐趣是一种寻觅之乐，所以对于石头的档次我倒并不过分在意。只要是我觉得把它收集起来，就有一种自得其乐。
　　
　　三、换瓷记
　　
　　50年代末到“文革”十年所生产的带有当时特殊政治历史印记的瓷器，是当时政治变动的一种物化见证，50多年时间过去了，这种东西的存世量已经不多，它因此受到了当下古玩收藏界的青睐。现在市场上可见到的“文革瓷”不少，但绝大多数都是新仿的赝品，要寻觅一件真正的“文革”瓷也还真是不容易呢！
　　一次我在朋友家吃饭，偶然间看到了两件真正的“文革”瓷，令我大喜过望。那天朋友请我到他家去玩，一走进他的家，我看到他用以盛烟灰之缸，居然是一只完好无损的嘉庆花草纹青花捣药臼。后来吃饭时，我端起饭碗一看，竟然是一只光绪年间造的金红釉胭脂水色的官窑瓷碗。他见我显露吃惊之色，又端出两只菜碗，我一看是一对真正的“文革”青花瓷碗。我顾不上吃菜，仔细地端详这一对碗，见它是仿照晚清民窑青花碗的样式烧造的。碗的外面是两层青花图案，上层是用竖线隔开的以转圈写法书写了“人民公社万岁”六个青花大字。有一条横线将上下两层分开，下层在一个碗上转圈写的是“年年丰收”四个字，另一个写的则是“人民万岁”四个字。字写得极其潦草，但猛一看倒也很像用青花画出的花草纹，碗里则有青花双圈纹和底部的一抹青花装饰，底款也是一抹青花。因此，初看极像晚清之物，细看才发现有鲜明的时代特征。两个碗民国瓷的特征很明显，再说它们系由朋友从老家带出，是他母亲在当时买下家用的，故毋须探究其真伪的问题。从所写的字来看，它们应该是1958年“高举三面红旗”时期的产物，比“文革”要稍早几年。这类瓷器其审美价值不是很高，但由于它们是产生于特定的历史年代，还是有其独特的收藏价值的。朋友见我捧着碗爱不释手的样子，就说：“今天请你来就是要送你几件东西，这碗也在其中，既然你喜欢它们，吃过饭就把这几个碗带走吧！”我说我不好意思白拿你的宝贝，我也送你一个乾隆时期造的青花山水纹方形水洗吧，你如果同意，就让我把那个被当成了烟灰缸的青花药臼也带走。朋友一口答应，但又说：“不过你的水洗就将成为我未来的烟灰缸了！”
　　
　　Three Anecdotes about My Search of Antiques
　　Gao Songnian
　　
　　Looking for Lid for My Jar
　　A friend came back from his home village and brought back some porcelain antiques. Well acquainted with my ardor for porcelain antiques, he gave me a gift. It was a small jar with a design drawn in powdered colors and made in the Tongzhi Period (1861-1875) of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Painted on the external wall of the jar are three kids frolicking. The jar was originally designed as a container for makeup powder. After careful studies, I was sure that the piece was authentic. My only regret was that it did not have a lid. The friend advised me to search local antique markets for a matching lid.
　　
　　It was easier said than done. Searching for a similar lid would be like looking for a needle in a haystack, let alone hunting for a lid that would fit the jar perfectly. I had had the experience of looking for matching lids for my jars. One lid, which was far from matching in color, took me more than a year to find and cost me a fortune. Another lid did not match the period and style though the size was okay. However, I decided to try my luck for this jar. With the size scribbled on a piece of paper tucked away in my pocket, I began hunting. I ran into a lot of lids, but none matched the jar I had. One day, I saw a jar with a lid at one market. The period, shape and style of the jar were all right, but the size was a little bit smaller. To my surprise, the lid, which was not the original one for that jar, was perfect in size for my jar. After a hard bargain, I bought the lid. The friend was amazed by the lid sitting comfortably with the jar.
　　
　　Stone Hunting
　　My collection of stones is nothing to write home about, but I like stones. So at the beginning, I allowed my taste for mediocre stones to dominate. It was not until I met a collector of tones and viewed his collection that I yearned for collectable stones. The variety, quantity, quality of his collection opened my eyes. I began to hunt for good stones. I visited native places to hunt original stones. On business tours during that time, the first thing I did in leisure time was to hunt for stones. The most memorable trip was my visit to Qinghai and Gansu provinces in the country’s west. For more than 10 days, I traveled and searched. One day, our bus broke down on the highway and I took the advantage and got off to search roadsides for stones. I brought home a heap of stones which weighed more than 20 kilograms. Only one of the stones was good enough as a collectable and the rest was all evaluated as debris. I realized I was no good at hunting stones in nature, but the pleasure of hunting was gratifying.
　　Then I decided to give up fruitless hunts in nature and turned to antique markets for collectables. One day, I learned that a huge heap of stones had just arrived at a market from the country’s west. I rushed there to take a look. These translucent stones in lovely and smooth shapes had been shaped by sands and winds over millions of years. I spent a lot of time picking the ones that appealed to me. For less then 100 yuan, I bought dozens, all in pairs and all in zoomorphic shapes. These small stone wonders now stand on my bookshelves. When taking a break after a long session of writing, I take a look at them. Their magic shapes and colors give me a great deal of glowing pleasure.
　　
　　Bartering with My Friend
　　Porcelain things made in the late 1950s and 1960s and early 1970s are unique: rare in quantity and with the unmistakable mark of the period, they serve as testimonies to the political winds of that period. Nearly half a century later, antique aficionados have begun to collect the remaining few. Antique markets abound with fakes, and a real one is hard to come by.
　　One day, I was visiting a friend at his house and I ran into two porcelain pieces made during the Cultural Revolution. I found the ashtray my friend used was actually a herb mortar with a design in blue made in the Jiaqing Years (1796-1820) of the Qing Dynasty. At the dinner, the rice bowl for me was a porcelain rarity in gold and red made in the reign (1875-1908) of Emperor Guangxu of the Qing Dynasty. Seeing my surprise and curiosity, my friend brought out a pair of bowls made presumably during the Cultural Revolution (1966-1976). I examined them carefully and decided they were made in 1958 though they imitated the style of the late Qing Dynasty. The political slogans on the bowls testified to the era. The friend said that his real purpose for inviting me to dinner was to give me a few antique pieces as gifts. The pair of bowls had been meant for me. I gave him a brush-pen rinsing bowl manufactured during the reign (1736-1796) of Emperor Qianlong. To compensate for my more valuable antique, I asked for his ashtray. My friend agreed willingly but advised me not to be astounded if my bowl would be used as an ashtray.
　　
　　(Translated by Tian Jinjiang)