SWNOVELXO Chapter 273: Antique Tour (2)
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The owner looked pleased seeing Mira’s response, or maybe he just had a cheerful personality, as he began to describe all of the items there.
He started with antiques from the Katenov Era. They did not look like dazzling pieces of jewelry and precious metals, but instead were common items made as beautiful as possible through simple means.
A royal edict had been given in the Katenov Era to put art into all items, even those usually mass produced. Due to how common those items would be, there were not enough gemstones or gold and silver to adorn them, giving the rise to more simple things like carving and painting.
Craftbell, Coffee and Antiques had gathered many items from that time period, including a wealth of 『common』 items, small tools and utensils, furniture of various sizes, even doors and gates, all of which had been adorned and engraved to an almost divine level. They were proper relics of a time past, something more than mere antiques.
「I had heard stories about this Katenov Era, but I didn’t imagine it was filled with items like these…」
Mira was taken aback by that, carefully looking through each of the items on display. She was mainly looking for furniture spirits, but even she was impressed by the beauty of the items there. She quickly forgot her main focus, and just looked through everything available there.
「Hmmm… I couldn’t find any.」
Once she reached the end, she turned around and retraced her steps while mumbling to herself. The last few minutes made her feel like she had come in touch with history, which felt rewarding in itself, but in the end, she had been unable to find any spirits.
『Human sensibilities are something I’m always impressed by. Still, I believe those are also the reason why you haven’t been able to find any of my kind here.』Even the Spirit King had been taken aback by the antiques, as his voice was filled with emotion as it echoed inside Mira’s mind. But then, he added that he doubted there would be any spirits in the Katenov Era antiques. They were all so close to pieces of art that it made it harder for them to be used for their original intent. It was likely only their original owners had utilized them dearly, while all future owners thought of them as treasures, stopping the process that would give birth to a spirit. It was necessary for the creator and all future owners to appreciate the items and their use for a spirit to be born within.
『I see. So how one uses them also has an effect.』
『That’s exactly right.』
Time was an important part of the equation, but how the items were used during that time was just as important. Considering antiques from the Katenov Era were usually regarded as art pieces to treasure, it was easy to see how it would be harder for spirits to inhabit them.
「Now, please look over here. These are masterpieces created around two centuries ago.」
The owner spoke to her, pointing to another set of antiques which looked similar to the Katenov Era ones, but were not quite the same. That was likely his usual way of showing the store to visitors, as everything was arranged to be seen one after another.
「There was a time when various artisans became inspired by the Katenov Era, and tried to recreate those items. This movement started in a small city in the southeast region of the continent and spread to the bigger cities, inspiring many artists to create new masterpieces.」
The owner continued explaining the history behind those items, and just as he described, they were clearly inspired by the Katenov Era, being daily use utensils adorned in very artsy ways.
Mira followed his guidance, and noticed a change in the items as the movement matured. At first, they seemed like replicas of the Katenov Era, but eventually, the designs became closer to the contemporary artstyle.
Everything had been organized by age in the store, so as they moved forward it was also like they were moving forward in time, exemplifying those changes.
「These here are from the transitionary period, the changes become starker ahead from here.」
The owner was grinning like a kid as he explained that. He seemed to really enjoy showing his collection and talking about it, and was excited to see Mira experience history in the same way.
「Ohh, let me see.」
Mira moved closer to see that transition, from replicas of an era three centuries prior, to what was contemporary in that new resurgence.
The owner followed right behind her, offering more detailed explanations. Some people would feel overwhelmed in a situation like that, but Mira was enjoying herself. More than a salesman, the owner was like a museum tour guide, happily telling the history behind every item on display.
「I see, it’s the colors. They become more vibrant as we move forward.」
She was looking at the antiques that came out later during that movement, noticing that everything, no matter its size, displayed more colors than at the start.
「Yes, precisely! New pigments and dyes were discovered at around that time, which greatly revolutionized the art world at the time. That included the people trying to recreate the Katenov Era, pushing those art pieces forward as well.」
Raising his voice, the owner walked faster to the end of the line, where the items from the tail end of that period were. The items there were all colorful and pleasant on the eyes, like they had come out of a fairy tale.
During the course of that movement, the price of pigments and dyes went down considerably, leading to more liberal usage of them in art pieces. As a result, the cities that had been taken over by that movement became colorful like rainbows, and became known as rainbows on earth.
「Sadly, the cities where it all happened were embroiled in a terrible war, and now they’re just a wasteland of monsters and undead. But in recent years, the city of Poneisho in the Kingdom of Strife is trying to recreate those times. Matching the refined artstyle is obviously not so easy, but it’s a really colorful city.」
The owner would often travel around the continent, both as a way to increase the lineup of his store and out of personal interest. He had visited that city various times, and he was adamant that it was a place worth checking out.
Eventually, he stopped at the end of the line, in front of the biggest and most impressive painting of the lineup. The painting was securely locked behind a display case, and surrounded by various protective devices. It was likely the most expensive item there, considering how securely it was kept.
「Oh, this is certainly striking…」
Mira muttered in amazement while looking at the painting, and the owner was eager to agree with her.
The painting was around 150cm tall and 200cm wide, and depicted on that canvas was a colorful and detailed cityscape, certainly befitting of being called a rainbow on earth. It was a painting of one of those cities in their prime.
The beauty of it was so impactful it made even those without an interest in art stop and admire it, so even Mira felt a strange feeling of longing when seeing it.
「I realized why they’re so determined to bring those times back when I first saw this painting as well.」
The owner was full of emotion as he closed his eyes and said that.
「This period two centuries ago that in many ways became equal to the Katenov Era is known now as the Reverie Period, named in honor of Count Blanche La Reverie who spearheaded the movement.」
He slowly opened his eyes after concluding his explanation, and then muttered that he also would have liked to see what the Katenov Era looked like in its prime.
「There’s a lot of history behind this, huh…」
Mira continued looking at the painting, feeling like she had learned a lot.
It was an oil painting, but the colors were softer, almost like watercolors, giving the cityscape a relaxing and mesmerizing look, which entranced Mira and the owner, both admiring the beauty of art.
But that did not last very long, as Mira soon remembered what her actual goal there was. She realized that she would end up staying there for the rest of the day if she continued going along with the owner’s tour, so she quickly turned around, only to stand in astonishment seeing how the colors on the antiques formed a gradient to less saturated colors as they were organized by their age.
(Wait, not again.)
Snapping out of it, she tried to look more carefully at the furniture there. But the same issue as with the Katenov Era was present there, with some items being even more artful, so there were no spirits there.
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