Towson ushered Ray on into a dining room adorned with splendid silk wallpaper with matching wainscoting and an ornate chandelier. Just before passing into the kitchen, Ray stopped when he noticed a large antique cupboard in the corner. Towson saw him pointing.
"Chinese porcelain," Ray said with some excitement. "This entire cabinet is filled with Chinese porcelain."
Towson's eyes widened, pleased with the observation. "Well, I'm impressed. Yes, that is indeed genuine Export China, rare and expensive. Not one person in a thousand would know that."
Towson opened the cabinet's glass-paneled door and took out a cup and saucer. He held out the lustrous blue and white cup and saucer. Ray folded his arms and stepped back, reluctant to touch them. Towson carried them into the huge kitchen. "The Chinese developed porcelain over two thousand years ago. These aren't quite that old." He smiled at his little joke and set the cup and saucer on a kitchen counter.
Ray said, "No, not two thousand. But easily two or three hundred years old, and you have a cabinet full of them. I'm used to seeing such items behind glass in a museum." As fascinated as Ray was by the unexpected porcelain find, unless Tammy was hiding in a back
room, he was wasting time here. This man couldn't help him. He had to politely go along and then soon leave.
Ray leaned closer to examine the cup and saucer. "I've studied some on seventeenth century history. He carefully turned the cup to examine it without picking it up. "As you know, trade was between China and wealthy Europeans. Mind if I tap the cup with this spoon?"
Towson gave a nod, but the slight frown on his face said he wasn't so sure.
"Chinese porcelain like this was all the rage. The upper classes just had to show off their china." With a gentle tap, the cup rang out with a clear bell tone. "Any ship going near China tried to load up with this valuable cargo." Ray then held the saucer high to verify that light could pass through it. "In the nineteenth century, imitation dishes flooded the world and were referred to as 'china', nevertheless they weren't porcelain." He set the pieces back down. "All of our grandmothers had a set of 'fine china', some handed down generations...God only knows what it actually was. That said, without question, Sir, you are in possession of rare and genuine porcelain."
Towson nodded his head vigorously and grinned with satisfaction. Then said, "As you might know, foreign traders weren't permitted into mainland China. Canton was where they traded. You'll appreciate this; I have in my safe a trader's directory from the sixteenth century listing the producers of china and their representatives at Canton. It's original and in mint condition."