Ever tuned into "Treasure! Anything Appraisers" (Kaiun! Nandemo Kanteidan)? This Japanese variety show has been running for over 30 years, constantly featuring fascinating individuals bringing in their cherished antiques and collectibles for appraisal. Sometimes it's junk, but often, hidden gems surface, inspiring similar programs even in other countries.
In a recent episode, the show dropped a bombshell: a complete collection of the "Collected Works of Han Changli" by none other than Han Yu, one of the "Eight Masters of Tang and Song Prose"! This classical literary masterpiece, over a thousand years old, immediately sparked a frenzy of discussion, with everyone wondering just how much such a historical treasure would be worth today.
The person who brought this ancient artifact to the show was Terumasa Hirahata, the 46th head priest of Enpukuji Temple in Choshi City, Chiba Prefecture. He's no stranger to the program; back in 2016, he appeared with "Saga-bon Tsurezuregusa," an old Japanese book inherited from his grandfather, which was appraised at a jaw-dropping 15 million yen!
Later, while tidying up the temple's archives, he stumbled upon another treasure! It was a book printed in China during the Song Dynasty, a millennium ago. When he showed it to a friend, the friend gasped, "This is worth 100 million yen!" The priest was stunned and wanted to confirm if it truly held such immense value.
This discovery quickly caught the attention of Japanese scholars specializing in Tang Dynasty history and literature, who hailed it as a monumental find for researchers. Han Changli, better known as Han Yu (768–824), was a pivotal literary figure of the Mid-Tang period, celebrated for his masterful poetry and prose, and revered as one of the "Eight Masters of Tang and Song Prose." Intellectually, he was lauded as "a common man who became a teacher for a hundred generations," pioneering Song Dynasty Neo-Confucianism.
Experts noted that while not an original manuscript, a Song Dynasty edition is incredibly early, and many versions from that period are meticulously collated. Thus, this book's discovery could potentially reveal previously unknown variant texts. This is undoubtedly fantastic news for researchers of Han Yu's literature and for scholars of Tang and Song bibliography.
Many netizens were amazed, calling its pristine condition after more than a thousand years nothing short of a miracle. Such an item, they argued, deserves to be preserved as a national treasure.
The moment of truth arrived, and the appraisal team delivered a shocker: a final valuation of three hundred million Japanese yen! This left everyone, including Priest Hirahata, absolutely flabbergasted.
According to Masami Yagi, representative director of Azuchido Bookstore and one of the appraisers, these volumes are miraculously well-preserved for items over a millennium old. They perfectly showcase Song Dynasty printing techniques and were crafted using premium paper, making them museum-quality pieces of the highest caliber.
After the episode aired, netizens continued to buzz about the 300 million yen masterpiece. Many believed a complete, intact version like this was likely unique in the world. Although two volumes were Song Dynasty补本 (supplementary editions), the rest were original, beautiful volumes from a thousand years ago. It was reportedly the first time "Treasure! Anything Appraisers" had ever seen such a staggering 300 million yen valuation – truly astounding!
However, some netizens felt it was a shame for such a historical treasure to be held privately. While the books were clearly collected by his grandfather, an avid antique book enthusiast, owning a 300 million yen artifact as an ordinary person doesn't quite align with historical preservation.
On the flip side, institutions like museums might struggle to afford such a sum, often requesting donations or seeking to acquire items at a reduced price. This means if it were ever sold, it would likely end up in the hands of a wealthy private collector.
Ultimately, such an item is truly a rare find, and its appearance on "Treasure! Anything Appraisers" was unexpected. Reportedly, Enpukuji Temple, where Priest Hirahata resides, also hosts temple treasure exhibitions. Perhaps this offers a good way for this historical antique to be preserved and shared with the public.
via： 《稀世珍寶開運鑑定團》官網