Chapter 268: Holding Back the Ultimate Move

A few thin sheets of paper, yet they gave Wu Hui a feeling as if a lifetime had passed.

No one had ever thought: Song Dynasty Green-White Glaze and Song Dynasty Luanbai Jade were actually the same thing?

Why did historical records explicitly mention that the Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze technique originated from Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain, yet no one had ever researched it?

The answer is two words: scarce, expensive.

Since the founding of the nation, Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze has been excavated sporadically; the largest quantity was the Egg White Glaze found in an Anhui Shexian Cellar in 1984, consisting of 109 pieces of Egg White Glaze porcelain with "Shufu" inscriptions.

Including jars, plates, bowls, high-foot cups, and other vessel types, it is the world's largest collection of complete Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze pieces from a cellar.

Song Dynasty Green-White Glaze is slightly more abundant: the first time was in 1971, during the rescue excavation of the Zibo Fushan Song Dynasty Noble Tomb, which unearthed a set of Song Dynasty Celadon-White Porcelain.

Including four-loop jars, tea cups, cup stands, incense burners, and melon-ribbed ewers, thirteen pieces in total, all with Shadow Blue Glaze, the glaze color is lustrous and the vessel shapes are regular.

This was the earliest discovery in the country, and to this day, it remains the most complete and numerous collection of complete Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain.

The second time was in 1982, when the Jiangxi Cultural Relics and Archaeology Research Institute and the Jingdezhen municipal cultural relics department conducted multiple excavations at the Hutian Kiln, unearthing some Song Dynasty Celadon-White Porcelain (Shadow Blue Porcelain) specimens, kiln furniture, and porcelain-making tools.

There were no complete pieces, but there were many porcelain shards, nearly a ton.

Since then, Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain circulating among the public has been discovered in various provinces, and major museums have collected them: such as the Forbidden City, Jingdezhen, Wuhan, Sichuan, Shanghai, and even abroad, but the collections are all in the single digits.

That is the quantity; now let's talk about the price: Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze is not well-recognized in the private collection world and is relatively cheap; a good piece costs hundreds of thousands, and a poor one costs tens of thousands.

But Song Dynasty Green-White Glaze is a hundred times that of Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze: the lowest-priced piece was the Shadow Blue Glaze Jade Pot Spring Vase with printed double-goose patterns auctioned at Christie's Hong Kong in 1999, which sold for 1.1 million.

The most expensive piece was the Green-White Glaze conical bowl with incised floral patterns and children playing, auctioned by China Guardian in 2006, which sold for 8.6 million.

Even for a porcelain shard, a small piece two fingers wide costs three to five thousand.

Don't think it's expensive; Song Porcelain is just that price.

Now let's talk about the demand: not to mention the eighties or nineties, just looking at the present day, with the technological level of 2008, if one wanted to restore a certain ancient porcelain-making technique, how much specimen material would be needed?

The answer is "tons."

If one is only analyzing basic components, determining craft inheritance and aging differences, tracing craft traces, and verifying production techniques, the demand for specimens is slightly less. But even then, the unit is still "hundreds of kilograms."

One piece counts as a bit more, half a kilogram; just for a basic component analysis, it takes ten or so pieces. If tracing craft traces and verifying production techniques, at least forty or fifty pieces are needed.

Not to mention whether one can find so many samples, or whether people would sell them if found, just calculating the price: the kiln site for Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze has not been found, only complete pieces; for hundreds of kilograms, one would have to buy back half of the Anhui Museum's collection.

Shadow Blue Porcelain does have shards, but a piece two fingers wide costs thousands; for hundreds of kilograms, how much money would that be?

Calculating conservatively: ten million.

And for the Cultural Relics Research Institute or the National Museum of China to apply for a National Level key project, what is the budget?

A better one is in the tens of millions; a worse one is probably only five or six million, or seven or eight million. And this is the funding for the entire cycle, which could very well be two years, or even three.

Therefore, the total project funding isn't even enough to buy the specimens.

No one would be foolish enough to study this; with so much money, wouldn't it be better to study something with lower costs and easier results?

Even if the names are very similar, even if historical records have mentioned it: Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze originated from Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain, and even if there is only a one-character difference between Green-White Glaze, Egg White Glaze, and Luanbai Jade, no one has ever thought of researching this topic.

Without research, of course, no one knows: Luanbai Jade, which only exists in historical records and which almost no one has ever seen, is actually Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain...

Wu Hui flipped back and forth, reading the report again: "Hejin Porcelain and Hozhou Porcelain are easy to explain, you have collected quite a lot, but for the latter two, you need at least a hundred kilograms; where did you get the samples?"

Lin Sicheng was concise: "Traded... Last year, I inadvertently received a Jiaqing Pastel Kiln Worker Porcelain Bottle, had Zhao Shixiong take it to Jiangxi, and traded it for four hundred kilograms of Shadow Blue Porcelain shards..."

"In addition, Zhao Shixiong had a pair of Black Glaze Applique Jars from the Tang Dynasty Shouzhou Kiln (a famous Tang Dynasty kiln in Anhui), took them to Anhui, and traded them for forty pieces of Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze. They are all large pieces like jars and urns; relatively speaking, the quality isn't very good, but they are enough for research..."

Wu Hui didn't know what to say.

As for the Jiaqing Pastel Kiln Worker Porcelain Bottle, he wasn't very clear on exactly how many there were, but he was certain that there were no more than a handful in the world.

A few years ago, Jingdezhen borrowed one from Shanxi, but they didn't return it after borrowing it, and the lawsuit even went to Beijing. Later, under the mediation of the Cultural Relics Bureau, Jingdezhen reluctantly returned a Han Tripod, and the matter was dropped.

Now, someone brought one to trade for broken porcelain shards; anyone who wouldn't trade is a fool.

If Wu Hui were to estimate the price again, it would be at least six or seven million.

A Black Glaze Applique Jar from the Tang Dynasty Shouzhou Kiln, one is worth at least a million, right? How much for two?

Adding the three together, it's already eight or nine million... just about what he predicted earlier: the material specimens alone would cost over ten million.

Looking at Lin Sicheng again, Wu Hui felt that this kid was glowing with gold.

The kind of light that makes money sting.

Subconsciously, Wu Hui recalled the question Lin Sicheng asked in the material room: Department Head Wu, if I go to Beijing, establish a project, and get funding, can I spend it however I want?

At the time, he thought Lin Sicheng was joking; looking at it now, isn't it just that he can spend it however he wants?

For a moment, Wu Hui felt that Lin Sicheng had too much money to burn: spending nearly ten million just to verify whether these two porcelain systems have a succession relationship?

If it were for the Cultural Relics Research Institute or the National Museum of China, he would think it wasn't worth it, let alone paying out of his own pocket?

Of course, Lin Sicheng was not shooting without a target: if he could prove that Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain is the Luanbai Jade in historical records, and also the Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze, then the archaeological value of the Hejin Kiln and Hozhou Kiln could be raised to another level.

If he could also restore the firing technique of Luanbai Jade, the patent licensing alone could earn him two or three times the return.

But the problem is, what if?

He sighed: "Lin Sicheng, if the craft restoration doesn't work out, what will you do?"

The so-called "getting rich quietly"—shouldn't you be taking advantage of the fact that the people in Shanxi haven't reacted yet to quickly restore the craft?

You, on the other hand, want to engage in some kind of simultaneous excavation, which is equivalent to pulling your opponents onto the same starting line; isn't this just sending guns and cannons to the enemy?

Ten million, Lin Sicheng, just thrown into the water like that?

Lin Sicheng smiled: "Doing research, let's not talk about that!"

I believe you, you ghost?

Wu Hui sighed: "Tell me, what exactly do you want to do?"

"Department Head Wu, no rush, look at this first and then we'll talk!"

Still looking?

Wu Hui paused, suppressing his patience.

Lin Sicheng took back the other three pieces, leaving only the Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze plate.

Then, he took out another white glaze cup and placed the two pieces together.

At first glance, there seemed to be no difference between the two, but after a quick look, Wu Hui narrowed his eyes.

He picked up that cup, and a visual sensation that was as lustrous as jade, gentle and pure white, entered his eyes.

Subconsciously, eight characters surfaced in his mind: White as congealed fat, pure as piled snow.

Wu Hui was stunned for a moment: "Yongle Sweet White Glaze?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Senior Brother Zhao's younger brother, General Manager Zhao, specially sent it over from Beijing."

Incredible, this piece alone is worth at least seven or eight million, right?

"No... Lin Sicheng, do you know how expensive this piece is? You're using this kind of thing for experiments?"

"I haven't yet, at least not at this stage; I'm just doing a longitudinal comparison."

Longitudinal comparison, comparing what?

Wu Hui's eyelids twitched, and he picked up that plate as well.

If comparing appearances, the Egg White Glaze is white in color, the Glaze Layer is opaque, has a strong milky turbidity, and presents a "wood-light" effect without any glass-like texture.

Yet this Sweet White Glaze is "semi-wood-light," meaning it is both semi-lustrous and semi-translucent. Moreover, the cup body is extremely thin, less than one millimeter. Overall, it possesses that jade-like milky luster while not losing the light-transmitting effect of a semi-glassy crystal phase.

Compared to the Egg White Glaze, both its luster and reflectivity are just right.

To summarize, it's as if the cup in the left hand is an improved version, a thin-body version, of the plate in the right hand?

Pondering secretly, Wu Hui picked up the Flashlight on the table and shone a beam of light through the bottom of the cup.

Then, his eyes went wide:

What is meant by Shadow Blue Porcelain?

Shine a light and see the shadow, just like what is before one's eyes.

But the problem is, this is Sweet White Glaze. No literature mentions any connection between Yongle Sweet White Glaze, Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze, and Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain?

Wu Hui was stunned for a long time, then looked around: "Where is the analysis report?"

You just said, how could I bear to use such things for experiments, and now you are asking me for an analysis report?

Lin Sicheng looked helpless: "No report, I just did a comparison. However, I speculate that there is a certain correlation between these two types of porcelain!"

No need to speculate, Wu Hui has eyes: nine times out of ten, these two types of porcelain have a lineage relationship.

To put it bluntly: during the inheritance process, Sweet White Glaze improved upon the craftsmanship of Egg White Glaze: the body is thinner, the glaze is more translucent!

But why has no one studied it before, or even discovered it?

Because this stuff is rarer and more expensive; a single piece can easily cost seven or eight million. It might appear at an auction, or in the safe of a top collector, or perhaps in a large Museum.

But it would never appear in a laboratory.

Those in the know don't have the opportunity and wouldn't think of it, and those who have the opportunity but aren't in the know would think of it even less. Therefore, it is impossible for anyone to be like Lin Sicheng, putting two items together to compare the origin of the craftsmanship...

Just as he was secretly clicking his tongue, Lin Sicheng took away the Egg White Glaze plate and brought out two more cups, placing them alongside the Sweet White Glaze.

Wu Hui took a glance, and a deep sense of powerlessness welled up in his heart.

The first piece was a restored broken vessel, with a section missing in the middle.

But even so, it was enough to shock him, because this was a Ming Dynasty Eggshell Cup.

The so-called Chenghua Doucai, the famous Chicken Cup, all have colors painted on the body of an Eggshell Cup, entering the kiln a second time to be fired at a low temperature.

As rare and precious as the Chenghua Doucai and Chicken Cup are, that is how many of these exist and how expensive they are.

Even if it is just a broken vessel...

Looking at the second one, Wu Hui was already too exhausted to be shocked.

What was just said, Chenghua Doucai Chicken Cup?

In the time it took to have that thought, Lin Sicheng had already taken one out.

It was still a broken vessel, only half-assembled, not even counting as a restoration, just a temporary and reversible bonding.

But even as a broken vessel, this is the nineteenth Chicken Cup in the world.

Wu Hui felt that if Lin Sicheng wasn't crazy for using such things to verify the lineage of ancient porcelain craftsmanship, he was close to it.

There is no need to even verify it, because more than one piece of literature records: the Chenghua Doucai technique originated from the Eggshell Cup, and the Eggshell Cup originated from the Sweet White Glaze; the technical difficulty lies not in the painting and secondary firing, but in the base body.

"This should be the Chicken Cup that Wang Qi Zhi said your Partner asked you to restore?"

Wu Hui sighed, "That General Manager Zhao just watched you take this thing into the laboratory? Isn't he afraid that if you get a hot head, you'll test this thing as a specimen?"

Fear is not quite the word, at most he might just be guessing in his heart. But as of now, whether it is General Manager Zhao, the younger General Manager Zhao, or Zhao Laotai, they have all bet everything on him. If he really were to test it, absolutely no one would say anything.

Lin Sicheng smiled: "How should I put it, Senior Brother Zhao is also a Partner of the Restoration Center; if I make money, doesn't he get a share?"

Wu Hui sneered: Make money?

If it were before, there might have been a slight possibility. But seeing the Sweet White Glaze, the Eggshell Cup, and the Chicken Cup, Department Head Wu had to conclude: if Lin Sicheng doesn't lose money, it would be thanks to his ancestors' protection.

What's more, he is acting like he was kicked in the head by a donkey, wanting to engage in some kind of excavation?

Just as he was secretly sighing, Lin Sicheng took out a few more pieces, and Wu Hui was stunned: There's more?

Taking a glance, he suddenly understood: Qing Dynasty Dehua Thin-body Famille Rose Cup, Ming Dynasty Dehua Kiln thin-body white glaze cup, Qing Dynasty Dehua Kiln thin-body white glaze cup.

These two pieces don't need to be traced; historical records from the Qing Dynasty record it clearly: the craftsmanship of Qing Dynasty Official Kiln thin-body porcelain originated from Ming Dynasty Doucai.

The same goes for Dehua white thin-body porcelain: around the mid-Ming Dynasty, the Official Kiln implemented the Official Kiln Supporting Folk Firing policy, and Folk Kiln technology saw breakthrough development.

It was also at that time that the Dehua Kiln created Dehua thin-body porcelain based on the craftsmanship of Sweet White Glaze and the Eggshell Cup.

There is no need for experiments either; one can see it with the naked eye: whether it is the body quality, glaze color, or crystal phase, there is basically no difference between the two.

Looking at the last piece, Wu Hui felt it was quite interesting:

This is a Qing Dynasty Dehua white thin-body porcelain, commonly known as Onion Root White, meaning white with a hint of green.

This is an innovative porcelain where the Dehua Kiln shifted from the "Ivory White" (white with a slight yellow tint) and "Zhuyou White" (white with a slight red or yellow tint) of the Ming Dynasty to a glaze layer with a slightly greenish tone.

The cause is very simple: the proportion of Iron Oxide (FeO) in the body and glaze increased, and the atmosphere in the kiln during firing was no longer a simple Oxidation Flame, but leaned towards a Reduction Flame, resulting in a greenish-white glaze color.

Thinking about it this way, this type of porcelain has nothing to do with innovation; it should be called retro porcelain, because its core craftsmanship is exactly the same as the Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain.

If the reduction atmosphere were slightly stronger, what would be fired is that Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain Bowl he saw earlier.

Of course, the premise is to first prove the inheritance relationship between the Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze and the Yongle Sweet White Glaze. Only then can a complete chain of technological evolution be established:

Northern Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain—Jin Dynasty Hejin Porcelain—Early Yuan Dynasty Huo Prefecture Porcelain—Mid-Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze—Ming Dynasty Sweet White Glaze—Eggshell Cup—Chenghua Doucai—Early Qing Dynasty Thin-body Porcelain—Mid-Qing Dynasty Famille Rose.

This is the Tribute Porcelain system; civilian porcelain has a different evolutionary chain: Ming Dynasty Sweet White Glaze—Mid-Ming Dynasty Dehua Thin-body White Porcelain—Qing Dynasty Dehua Celadon-White Porcelain (retro Shadow Blue Porcelain)...

While pondering, Wu Hui was suddenly stunned: Eh, looking at it this way, is this actually a complete chain of craftsmanship evolution from the Song to the Qing?

No, it's not just from the Song to the Qing... The discovery of the Beiwuqin Site can fully confirm that the origin of this type of porcelain is in the early Five Dynasties, or even the late Tang Dynasty.

If one traces it further down, it can be traced all the way to the Republic of China, and even the modern era. Moreover, during the Republic of China period, it was no longer limited to the Dehua Kiln; slightly larger folk kilns could all fire thin-body porcelain.

The thinnest could be about 0.1 millimeters, and the vessel shapes were even extremely large, and translucent—translucent to the point where they could be used to make lampshades.

Just like this piece:

So, if we reorganize it again: from the late Tang Dynasty to the Republic of China, from Official Kilns to folk kilns, this porcelain-firing craft has been passed down for over a thousand years?

Let's count: to date, how many types of ancient ceramics have such a complete craft chain, such a clear technological evolution, and an ancient ceramic craft with a time span of over a thousand years?

The answer is one.

Previously, the one with the longest craft chain was Longquan Kiln Celadon: starting in the Eastern Jin Dynasty and ceasing production in the Ming Dynasty, it was just about a thousand years.

Now there is one more: Green-White Glaze, Luanbai Jade, or perhaps what is called thin-body porcelain.

Besides inheritance, one must also look at its representativeness and influence in history: from the Jin to the Yuan, only during the Southern Song Dynasty, which valued celadon, was Longquan Celadon briefly listed as tribute porcelain. In other periods, it always fired coarse porcelain for civilian use.

But this type of thin-body porcelain was used as imperial ware across five dynasties: the Northern Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming, and Qing.

I dare not say it leaves all others in the dust, but at least when comparing craft technology, scientific and technological levels, and so on, it is definitely a little bit stronger...

Wu Hui finally understood: why did Lin Sicheng want to excavate the Hejin Kiln and the Huo Prefecture Kiln?

If he didn't excavate these two sites, he wouldn't be able to prove the inheritance process of this craft technology, let alone prove the complete evolutionary chain.

To put it bluntly: without the corroboration of the Hejin Kiln and the Huo Prefecture Kiln, he couldn't link the Northern Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain with the Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze and the Ming Dynasty Sweet White Glaze.

Suppose, what if it were finally confirmed?

From the Tang to the Republic of China, over a thousand years, and tribute porcelain for five dynasties... I dare not say it is the last, but at least it is unprecedented.

The key is, as luck would have it, Lin Sicheng surveyed a Upward Firing period pottery kiln site within the scope of the ruins.

Does this mean it can be traced even further back?

Thinking of this, Wu Hui's pupils couldn't help but shrink: he finally knew why Lin Sicheng had tricked him and Sun Jiamu into coming to Xijing.

Setting aside the pottery kiln site, just speaking from the Tang to the Republic of China: a time span of over a thousand years, a complete inheritance chain, and profound historical influence—this is no longer a routine excavation project, but a major proactive project involving a National Level Project and tracing the origins of the craft.

Secondly, it is not only necessary to excavate the Hejin Kiln and the Huo Prefecture Kiln, but also to re-examine and excavate the Hutian Kiln site, and even more so to conduct in-depth investigation and research on the Yuan Dynasty Egg White Glaze, the Ming Dynasty Sweet White Glaze, and the Dehua Kiln craft of the Ming and Qing dynasties, and even survey the sites.

Involving Shanxi, Jingdezhen, and Fujian (Dehua Kiln), if any one of these provinces were to preside over it, not to mention whether the technology is sufficient or if conditions allow, would the other two be willing to take orders from you?

Therefore, no matter from which aspect it is discussed, this project will only be presided over and organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration.

Instinctively, Wu Hui recalled the words Lin Sicheng had said earlier: "Department Head Wu, don't worry, if I lose, I'll accept it. Once I'm done with these few days, wherever you and Division Chief Sun say to go, I'll go. Whatever you tell me to do, I'll do."

Even digging holes with a Luoyang Shovel is fine.

Thinking about the dozen or so BTA achievements in the computer and the analysis report he had just read, then looking at the neatly arranged and orderly White Glazed Porcelain on the long table, and then recalling the whole process of his surveying the five sites in Hejin...

In the end, you want him to go dig holes?

This isn't using a big talent for a small task; this is fucking wasting talent.

More importantly, the sites were all discovered by him, including the Hejin Kiln and the Huo Prefecture Kiln.

At the same time, the origin of the technology and the craft chain were all verified by him. He had even finished most of the research work and only needed to excavate the sites to verify the craft process from the side.

Therefore, either let him preside over the survey and excavation, or preside over the craft research; there will not be a third possibility.

At most, they might worry that he is too young and lacks seniority, so they would arrange for a figurehead Manager to escort him.

Just like the laboratory next door: Wang Qi Zhi holds the title, and Lin Sicheng does the work.

But if that happens, from the perspective of Yuncheng, the sky will probably collapse.

Originally it was: the only production center for fine white porcelain and tribute kiln in the Yuan Dynasty, and one of the only two for white glaze and porcelain pillow tribute porcelain in the Jin, Yuan, and Ming periods (there was also the Ding Kiln at the same time); now it has become one of the only two or three, because the Huo Prefecture Kiln must be added.

From the perspective of the provincial cultural relics department, they might have to bang their heads against the wall.

Originally it was: the only complete, full-craft-system Song Dynasty Luanbai Jade firing site in the country; as it turns out, the Luanbai Jade that only existed in historical records was actually the Shadow Blue Porcelain from the Jingdezhen Hutian Kiln of the Song Dynasty?

Regardless of the firing history, representativeness, or the scale of the site, the two cannot be compared.

What's more critical is the influence of this type of evolutionary porcelain in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Especially in the Ming Dynasty: Sweet White Glaze, Eggshell Cup, Chenghua Doucai, and even the Chicken Cup... how can this be compared?

It doesn't even compare to the Dehua Kiln.

It's like the difference between lighting one lamp in the dark and lighting many lamps on a stage.

The former can make it incredibly dazzling, while the latter will only make it lose its luster.

Wu Hui could already imagine: when the Cultural Relics Bureau calls a halt to the Hejin Kiln project and re-plans the excavation plan systematically, how uncomfortable Shanxi will be.

When the Cultural Relics Bureau presides and organizes, and Lin Sicheng goes to Hejin again with the Expert group, how unbelievable they will find it.

Once they know how this happened and how it reached this point, they will probably regret it until they vomit blood.

If one had known it would come to this, why act as one did in the beginning?

But from Lin Sicheng's perspective, the logic doesn't hold...

Wu Hui thought for a moment and felt that at this point, there was no need to speak in riddles, so he simply got straight to the point:

"Why not research for a while longer? Even if you don't fully restore the craft, at least achieve a breakthrough, and when others can't catch up even if they want to, then bring these out?"

"Otherwise, wouldn't all the effort you've made, and all the funds you've spent, just be making wedding clothes for others?"

"Thank you, Department Head Wu. My teacher and I thought the same, which is why we've delayed you for so long!"

As he spoke, he took out the Celadon-White Porcelain cup that had just been fired.

Glancing at it, Wu Hui's two eyeballs bulged straight out. Then, as if he had been electrocuted, his fingers couldn't help but tremble.

What is this?

Song Dynasty Shadow Blue Porcelain, Hejin Celadon-White Porcelain, or a Ming Dynasty Eggshell Cup, or perhaps Qing Dynasty Dehua Onion Root White?

Or even more, does it contain the craft characteristics of several types of porcelain, like a hodgepodge?

Wu Hui kept his eyes open, shifting his gaze back and forth between the two men's faces:

No wonder, having been bullied to that extent, Wang Qi Zhi acted so uncharacteristically, not even making a sound?

And no wonder, on the day of the farewell party, Lin Sicheng could still manage to smile?

This teacher and student pair were holding back more than just a big move; this, damn it, is a finishing move.