How to choose Wan Wen walnut first, quality.
When the author asked several old players who had played for decades what was the most important point in choosing Wan Wen walnut, most of them thought it was the texture of Wan Wen walnut. What is texture? Simply put, quality, including weight, skin thickness, wood density and hardness, affects the life span and coloring speed of Wan Wen walnut. With the passage of time, Wan Wen walnuts with good quality will become more ruddy and beautiful after playing with them, while those with poor quality will turn black and have poor color. Why is Catalpa bungeana the largest variety of walnut in Wan Wen since ancient times? Among other reasons, the good quality of Catalpa bungeana is one of the most important reasons.
There are many reasons that affect the texture of walnut, except varieties, soil environment, rainfall and so on. Orange is born in Huainan, and orange is born in Huaibei. . Like in the market? Yin skin? Walnut is a pathological change caused by rainwater infiltrating into olive during growth, which affects the normal growth of walnut.
Maturity is another important factor affecting the texture of Wan Wen walnut. If the picking time is not suitable, the texture of walnuts will also be affected. The annual picking time is usually in the lunar calendar? White deer? The solar term is the best, and all varieties can get off the tree. Trees planted too early are prone to white-pointed skin. Of course, it depends on the weather, varieties, site conditions and water and fertilizer conditions.
Are all walnuts in Wan Wen? Longevity is yes, and it is not uncommon to live for ten years, so choosing good quality walnuts is the basic skill. To see the quality of a Wan Wen walnut, the first thing to look at is the weight. Press your hand? To put it bluntly, it is not heavy. How do you feel if you have a big walnut in your hand? Bran? Most of them are of poor texture; If it is heavier, you can consider it. It depends on whether the walnut is hard or not, and whether the density is big or not. You can't tell by looking at one. The best way given by the old players is to compare, and let the seller compare several pairs of walnuts together. Observe carefully, touch and rub with your hands, and you will naturally feel different.
Second, shape.
? Shape? Refers to playing with the shape, grain and pairing of walnuts. The most representative in shape are the four famous nuclei listed in "Craft Walnut Spectrum":? Lion head, tiger head, chicken heart, doll hat? . They are all names evolved according to the shape of walnuts. Shape is an important factor affecting the selection of Wan Wen walnut. Just like women, beautiful women are loved by everyone. What is it like? Shape? Is it the best? It depends on the specific species, such as lion head. Gentle as a gentleman, honest as a saint, short as a dwarf, dust removal is a good thing. ? Short piles are often more popular with people because they tend to be round and beautiful. Is that what makes a prince's hat? Ears? No matter how big or not, the curve from the tip to the edge is beautiful, like a rich boy, charming and moving. Therefore, the closer to the characteristics of this variety, the better the shape, except of course the special-shaped walnut.
Peach patterns are also very particular. Some nuclear friends prefer this kind of biting, and never want anything with bad lines. Texture is the texture of walnut itself, which can be divided into depth and density, and can also be divided into mesh, water dragon pattern, block and so on according to the distribution state. Generally speaking, walnuts with shallow and thin lines are not as popular as those with deep and dense lines. A nuclear friend used such a metaphor: the walnut with shallow grain is like a white-faced young man now, shiny and tender, with no characteristics; But the face with deep lines is the face of the big man in the northwest, which is full of aesthetic feeling and meets the aesthetic needs of modern people.
Good lines need to be matched. Pairing pays attention to the similarity and symmetry of a pair of walnuts. The similarity here is not exactly the same, but similar, that is, the consistency of grain shape and direction. On one occasion, Liu Jing, an associate researcher at the Palace Museum, valued a walnut from the Qing Dynasty at 20,000 yuan. Liu Yulong, who is known as the first collection of walnuts in contemporary Wan Wen, explained that if this walnut is a pair, the valuation will be as high as 6,543,800 yuan.
Third, color.
? Color? Refers to the color of walnuts in different periods. In the process of playing, the color will change constantly. Generally, old walnuts that have been played for about 10 years will show a deep purple color. The color is jade, the face is ruddy and delicate, and it is crystal clear like a night pearl? This is a proper compliment to walnuts.
What should I pay attention to when choosing the color of walnut skin? Unhealthy? Situation. One is pudendal skin. This is a very common state in walnuts. The reason has been said before, that is, the color of walnut skin is not good because it is affected by rain during its growth or the green skin is damaged when it is under the tree. Some are black, and the whole walnut is all black or all red. What's it called in the jargon? Landing black? Or? The floor is red? . The second is the flower skin. The color of this kind of walnut skin changes slightly, and it is a little flowery, which is not obvious when it is new, but it is obvious when it is used once or oiled. The third is chaff skin. Walnuts are picked before they are ripe. The skin is brown and feels like firewood. The fourth is human factors. Some nuclear traders artificially color walnuts for profit.
Four, one
? Answer? It refers to the size of a walnut. Generally speaking, the bigger the walnut, the more valuable it is. The size of Wan Wen walnuts should be 35 ~ 40 mm (especially the side width), and those with the side width exceeding 43 mm are treasures. But in recent years, the prevalence of grafted walnuts has made Wanwen the capital of walnuts? Fat? There are many walnuts, some 40 mm long, and many more than 43 mm. However, unless this grafted walnut is a famous brand and good in all aspects, the price will not be too high.
The specific method is to surround the walnut with thumb and forefinger: the thumb is tight and cannot be bent, the forefinger is relaxed and surrounds the walnut, the edge of the walnut is parallel or vertical to the thumb, and the walnut slightly touches the finger, not too tight. At this time, the index finger and thumb are the width of the thumb nail, which is the handle of the stick; The width of a little finger nail is the handle of a small stick; The width of leek leaves is the correct position; There is no gap, just as big as a small walnut.
Main Classification of Walnut in Wan Wen by Origin Ⅰ. North China
Specifically, it includes the mountainous areas around Beijing, Tianjin and Hebei. To put it more simply, there are two places: Yanshan and its branches; Taihang Mountain and its branches. For example, it is still very famous at present: wood blade Lion Head, Ma Laosi, Sishulou Lion Head, Panshan Sun Jiagong Hat, and the wild native trees grafted at present, including White Lion Head and Short Lion Head, are all Yanshan walnuts. Due to the overall climate, soil and water factors, the walnuts in this area are the best among all Wan Wen walnuts in terms of comprehensive appearance (including weight, grain, shape, color after years of playing, and moisture). The traditional famous walnut products in Wan Wen come from these two mountainous areas. At the same time, it is also the walnut variety with the largest number of artificial grafting.
Second, the northeast.
Juglans mandshurica is rich in seeds and has a large output, but its weight is slightly lighter than that of Juglans mandshurica in North China and slightly heavier than that of Juglans mandshurica in Northwest China, and it is somewhat slender and sharp. Because of its large output, it has various shapes. If it is raw hazelnut without chemical treatment, color it quickly. At present, a small amount of grafting has begun.
Third, Northwest Walnut
Lantern walnut has long been famous. Recently, with the soaring price of walnuts in North China, some hat-like varieties have been newly developed in Northwest China. The grain is deeper than that of walnuts in other producing areas. However, judging from the actual playing effect in recent years, the color and moisture are obviously worse than the famous walnuts in North China. Some players classify lanterns in northeast and northwest Qiu Zi as a kind of walnut. Personally, I think they are not only different in overall origin, but also in weight, skin color, texture and so on. Therefore, we insist that they are two walnut varieties.
Fourth, southwest walnut
Iron walnut is the most representative, and there are also iron walnuts in other regions, but the three southwestern provinces: Yunnan, Guizhou and Sichuan are the most famous. Iron walnut, on the whole, is the most important walnut, but excessive edges and bottoms are the most ugly. No matter whether the lines are deep or shallow, they are mainly pit-shaped lines, which are poor in appreciation.
The main variety of Wan Wen walnut is 1, and the lion's head: lion's head is a treasure in hand-treated walnut. Its lines are combined with dots and nets, and its two corners droop, such as the mane of a lion in front of the old yamen, hence the name. It is characterized by short and abrupt tip, tight and square tail, wide and straight ribs, orange color, fast sizing, fast magnetic hanging and good rubbing feeling. Most of them are double-edged, coarse-grained, fine-piled and short-piled. If you encounter a lion's head with a triangular prism, four sides and a grimace, it can be described as a treasure among treasures. This variety is produced in mountainous areas of Beijing, Tianjin, Hebei, Shanxi, Henan and Shaanxi, with a small number, and most of them grow naturally in mountainous areas. In recent years, the area of artificial cultivation has expanded, and new varieties of artificial grafting often appear.
2, tiger head: tiger head is a good hand therapy, micro-carving walnuts. It is characterized by high pile height, large bulge, uniform distribution, wide and straight ribs, dot-net texture, fast coloring and strong magnetic hanging, mainly dark brown. It is mostly produced in Hebei, Shanxi and western Tianjin.
3. Gongzi hat (Xianggong hat): Gongzi hat, also called Xianggong hat. Because of its high double blades and low shape, it looks like a hat worn by Chinese people in Beijing opera, commonly known as "xianggong hat" It was the best walnut in Ming and Qing Dynasties, and it was monopolized by princes and nobles. With the development of the times and the change of people's aesthetic taste, this variety has become popular. But the shape, color, size and magnetism of the prince's hat are all respected by players. Pigeon hats are mainly distributed in the northwest of Beijing and Laishui, Yixian and Chengde in Hebei.
5. Official hat (palace hat): Palace hat is a good hand treatment for walnuts. Named for its shape like the hat worn by Ming officials when they went to court. Short and solemn, the bulge is dot-net, the two edges are wide and straight, and the tip is blunt and round. According to insiders, there are few kinds of official hats, and emperors, queens and eunuchs in Ming and Qing dynasties play mostly. There are rumors that the official hat is in hand and you can have whatever you want. It is mostly found in Yanshan Mountains and East Qinling Mountains.
6, chicken heart: this variety is heart-shaped, as small as a chicken heart, hence the name. There are three kinds of common chicken hearts in the market: large, medium and small. The color is orange-yellow, the grain is mainly dotted, the concave and convex are obvious, the upper part of the rib is high and the lower part is low, the texture is hard and the sound is crisp. It is the top grade of hand-treated walnut. In particular, the inch-long chicken heart is the main raw material for micro-carving. Compact structure, high hardness, natural color and slow sizing. The main producing areas are Hebei, Beijing and Shaanxi. !
7, peach heart: named after the shape of autumn peach. Higher than the heart of a chicken, bigger and more prominent. The grain is irregular network, the edge is wide and smooth, the tip is blunt and the tail is tight, and the top is similar to the general plate. The main producing areas are Hebei, Beijing, Shaanxi, Shanxi, Tianjin and other places. Peach has a big heart, a high bulge and a flat tail, which is suitable for manual processing and micro-carving of walnuts. Natural coloring is slow and artificial coloring is fast.
8. general arm: General board, also known as general arm. Its shape is sharp and round, and both sides of the tip extend outward in parallel, such as the epaulettes worn by generals during the Northern Expedition, hence the name. This product has a special shape, reticulate pattern, double tendons protruding straight through the body, oval tail tightening, solid texture, sound like metal collision, and dark red after long-term friction. Its producing areas are mostly in Shaanxi and Shanxi.
9. Toad head: Toad head, also known as toad eye. Because if you look closely at two faces like toad heads, your eyes are prominent and you look straight ahead. Generally, it is more vivid after playing red and bright, which makes people fondle it. This variety is large in size and dark in color, giving people a heavy and simple feeling. Because of its coarse texture and strong plasticity, it is a treasure of walnuts and a good material for micro-carving. This variety is mostly produced in Shaanxi, Hebei and northeastern Shanxi. In recent years, Beijing and Tianjin have also been cultivated, but the size and color are not ideal.
10, Lohan head: Lohan head is divided into two types, one is fine Lohan head and the other is coarse Lohan head. Its producing areas are distributed in Shaanxi, Gansu and Ningxia. The shape is mainly oval, which is named because its edge is small and sharp, and it looks like a monk's head and is low. Heavy weight, dark color, crisp and sharp voice, fast length, fast magnetic hanging, and directly sink into the water. Because the tip is small, it is mainly rubbed when playing, not the top grade.
1 1, Catalpa bungeana, also known as Juglans mandshurica or Juglans mandshurica. Widely distributed and abundant, it grows naturally and grows in mountainous areas such as Heilongjiang, Jilin, Liaoning, Hebei, Shanxi, Shandong, Shaanxi and Inner Mongolia. There are about 30 varieties, ranging from one edge to nine edges Nine sides are rare treasures. Among the friends who play walnuts, there is a saying that ten walnuts are nine. It has the characteristics of high yield, easy pairing, clear lines, fast coloring, fast magnetic hanging, good hand feeling and light weight.
12, dice (dice-four-sided iron walnut): dice, also known as square walnut. Its shape is square, with four sides from the tail to the top, and its shape is named after the dice people play. Dice is a kind of iron walnut, with peculiar shape, solemn dice, small quantity and relatively precious. Mainly distributed in Hebei and Shaanxi. Because of the high demand for soil, there are few large ones.
13, Lantern: Lantern, a common variety of hand-processed walnuts, named after its appearance resembling the Palace Lantern. The lines are thin and long, and the protrusions are high and flat. In hand therapy, pressing, pinching and kneading are the main methods. Large, small, tall and short pile lanterns are common in the market, and the producing areas are mainly Shaanxi, Hebei and North China.
14, Hedgehog: Hedgehog, also known as Tribulus terrestris. The whole body is sharp, the lines are dotted, the color is deep and sharp, and it looks like a hedgehog. This kind of walnut is shaped like an egg, generally with eight edges, strict and tight tail, fast coloring and light weight. In hand therapy, pressure and needling are the main methods. Most of the producing areas are Sichuan and Tibet, and most of them grow in the deep mountains, with little artificial cultivation.
15, Eagle Mouth (Walnut Eagle Mouth): Eagle Mouth is also called half of the country, also called partial moon. It is semicircular and flat in the palm of your hand and can be eaten like an eagle's mouth, hence its name. This variety is a favorite of collectors because of its fast coloring, fast magnetic hanging and heavy color. Origin in Hebei, Shanxi, Heilongjiang, Liaoning, Jilin, Shaanxi and other places are distributed.
16, Guanyin (Buddha's belly, beak): Guanyin, light brown, cracked, shallow lines, two edges from tail to top, beak-shaped, hence the name. Guanyin is hard, heavy and easy to color. But there are few big ones, mostly small and medium-sized varieties. Hand therapy is mainly based on pressure, needling and rubbing. Produced in Shaanxi, Shanxi and Hebei.
17, Scorpion: Scorpion is a kind of iron walnut. Because the tail gives birth to a spike about 3 mm long. So it is commonly known as scorpion. Deep lines, high protrusions, deep colors, heavy weight and high friction are the best products for hand treatment. Origin in Ningxia, Xinjiang and other places.
18, horseshoe: horseshoe, also known as bell buckle. It is named for its flat tail, wide base and horseshoe shape. This product is unique in shape, high in projection, colorful, fast in sizing, hard in texture, wide and straight in ribs, small and blunt in tip, and it is a good product for hand therapy, appreciation and micro-carving. Origin: Shaanxi, Shanxi and northern Hebei.
19, Duckbill: Duckbill, also known as duck head. It is a rare variety in today's market. Its shape is round and drooping, its grain is mainly reticulate, and its tip is long and flat, so it is named after the duckbill. Mostly produced in three northeastern provinces.
20, chicken mouth: chicken mouth, also known as chicken head. Named after the shape of a rooster's head. The lines are net-shaped, with high protrusions, wide sides but not prominent, straight and sharp, fast coloring and not easy to rotate. Origin: Northeast China, Beijing and Hebei.
2 1, double stick (double stick), also known as flying butterfly. It is a variant of Juglans mandshurica in Changbai Mountain, which looks like twins, so it is called double stick. Its deep color, clear lines and lovely shape have always been a must for collectors. It is even more precious if there are two protrusions on the tip that miss the eyes. People in the industry call them twins or flying butterflies with eyes.
22. Big willow leaf (arhat peach): Big willow leaf is a kind of hemp walnut. Its slender shape and slightly curved tip are named after a big willow leaf. The grain is mainly dot net, light brown, and the tail is flat and tight. This product is mainly ornamental. It is mostly found in the Yanshan Mountains north of Taihang Mountain.
23, conjoined: conjoined is a variant of iron walnut. Two walnuts grow horizontally together to form a double stick, and are arranged vertically to form a conjoined body. There are triplets, even quadruplets. It is mostly found in Taihang Mountain and Qinling Mountains.