Chapter 285: The Host and Guest are Both Delighted

This piece is even faster.

Drilling, inserting tenons, applying glue, bonding, stapling silver, patching glaze, baking... from start to finish, it took less than half an hour.

It was clearly a peerless skill that only existed in ancient texts and was nearly lost, yet in the hands of Lin Sicheng, it was handled with the utmost ease and the utmost precision.

He was like a peerless swordsman from a wuxia novel; what he held in his hands were not drills, hammers, or knives, but a celestial sword. Every move was just right, marvelous to the peak, and every technique was a delight to behold.

The plate sat on the table, and compared to before the restoration, it didn't seem very difficult: it had just been bonded, two staples were set at the broken ends, and two pieces of gold foil were wrapped around it.

But only those who truly understood knew how difficult this was.

To drill holes in porcelain shards one millimeter thick, to insert mortise and tenon joints just like repairing furniture, so that it had sufficient tensile strength.

And to ensure that after the cracks were repainted, the patched glaze color was indistinguishable from the original glaze, forming a seamless whole.

At first glance, it still seemed very simple. But consider just one point: the gap of the broken edge was not a single white glaze, but a transition from the light blue of a lake to the white glaze.

The key difficulty lay in the fact that the color presented during repainting and the color after low-temperature baking in the kiln were worlds apart.

How precise must one's control over the fusion characteristics of the colored materials, the changes in glaze formation during heating, and the kiln temperature be to restore it to a degree where the naked eye could not tell the difference?

If not for the staples at both ends, the applied gold foil, and the deliberately left hairline crack, who could tell that this plate had been broken and then restored?

In astonishment, the sacrificial blue glaze covered jar and the bean green glaze also came out of the kiln.

Everyone recalled the scene before the restoration, their expressions growing increasingly strange: they remembered that this jar didn't seem to be broken into so many pieces initially, only seven or eight shards.

But why, after being patched, was it broken like this, with at least ten or twenty shards?

Because it didn't look good when patched according to the original cracks, so Lin Sicheng added a few more pieces of gold foil.

It was just a casual change, but the finished object looked like a work of art.

Looking at that bowl lid, although it only had four cracks, there were two holes in the middle, large enough to stick a finger through. The feeling it gave after being patched was: did this thing always look like this?

Watching Lin Sicheng, who looked as if nothing had happened, fiddling with the Blue and White Plate, Zhang Jindong finally understood: why someone as arrogant as Wang Qi Zhi could lower his pride and do everything in his power to promote and build momentum for Lin Sicheng?

The museum staff also finally understood why, despite never having met the person, Department Head Zhang held Lin Sicheng in such high regard and repeatedly made recommendations to the leadership.

Because this kid truly had the skill.

Setting aside the Pastel Plate and not mentioning the mortise and tenon restoration, just looking at these last two pieces: for anyone who could be called a Ceramic Restoration Master, Gold Stapling and Gold Repair were essential skills.

Therefore, for these people, the difficulty was not whether one could patch or restore, but whether it had aesthetic appeal and artistic value after being patched.

Just like these two pieces, if viewed purely from the perspective of aesthetics and appreciation, they felt even better-looking than before they were broken?

This is what you call technique!

Amidst these sighs, Lin Sicheng had already assembled the main body of the Blue and White Cup and sent it into the Electric Kiln for micro-baking.

And before anyone knew it, it was already eight o'clock in the evening.

Zhang Jindong had originally booked a dinner party, but it was pushed back by Wang Qi Zhi: Blue and White Porcelain was hard to patch, and Lin Sicheng needed to rest well and keep his spirits up.

After a simple working meal, some went home and others returned to their hotels. At eight o'clock sharp the next day, Lin Sicheng arrived at the Gongwang Mansion.

There were even more visitors today, and the large restoration room was surrounded three layers deep inside and out.

There was no time for small talk; Lin Sicheng just nodded in acknowledgment, changed his clothes, and got onto the restoration table.

What was assembled yesterday was only the main body of the Blue and White Cup; there were quite a few fine defects, and it was fragmented, mostly with holes the size of rice grains or even smaller.

However, relatively speaking, the step of patching the defects was simpler, and Lin Sicheng was unhurried: mixing glue, patching holes, micro-baking, and polishing.

The main event came next: patching the base glaze and patching the blue and white patterns.

And restoring Blue and White Porcelain, or even among all types of porcelain and all restoration techniques, no step was more difficult than this.

Because a second high-temperature firing would cause the original glaze layer to undergo a qualitative change—commonly known as being ruined upon the first firing—it was impossible to restore it using the original glaze formula, original firing process, and temperature control procedures of the original vessel.

One had to re-mix the glaze and control the temperature of the second firing within an extremely precise range. It was even necessary to ensure localized temperature limits so that the fired blue and white color, the layering of the underglaze color, the light transmittance of the glaze layer, the light refraction index, and so on, remained consistent with the original vessel.

More crucially, the chemical properties of Cobalt Material in a high-temperature environment were extremely unstable; a little more or less oxygen, a pH difference of 0.5, or even a one-percent error in the aluminum, silicon, or calcium content in the glaze formula would lead to serious color differences.

Just as Wang Qi Zhi often said: the difficulty of restoring Blue and White Porcelain was no less than being given a small pistol and being required to achieve the explosive power of a missile.

Of course, it wasn't that exaggerated, but it was indeed hard to patch.

Since it was hard to do, one could not be rushed. Lin Sicheng was methodical: mixing glaze, test firing, recording data, taking it out of the kiln, adjusting the formula, and repeating the parameters for each step.

Then mixing again, testing again, modifying again, and adjusting again.

Over and over, the process was indescribably tedious, but the number of people in the restoration room did not decrease; instead, it increased significantly.

And it was extremely quiet; whether eating, going out, or going to the restroom, everyone tried their best not to make a sound.

In this manner, it continued until ten o'clock at night.

When Lin Sicheng opened the kiln door and took out the Blue and White Cup, everyone leaned forward.

Subsequently, as if a pause button had been pressed, the restoration room became eerily quiet.

Wang Qi Zhi's eyelids twitched, and the two General Managers, Zhao Da, Zhao Er, and Xiao Yuzhu, all felt a sudden panic in their hearts:

Was it ruined in the patching?

Otherwise, why was no one making a sound?

Stretching their necks to peek, the six of them all breathed a sigh of relief at the same time.

It wasn't ruined; not only was it not ruined, it was patched better than one could imagine.

The group of museum staff stood in silence, staring at the restored cup, their minds recalling how it looked before the restoration:

They remembered it was broken into twenty or thirty shards, and it wasn't just normally broken; nearly half of the fragments were only the size of rice grains. After the main body was assembled, there were over a dozen holes in the middle, and most of them were in areas with blue and white patterns.

Looking at the patched cup again: no color difference, no polarized light, and certainly no distortion of the Cobalt Blue color due to inconsistent thickness in the underglaze color layering.

One didn't even need a Magnifying Glass; one couldn't tell at all that this was a restored item.

Zhang Jindong had long since seen the video of Lin Sicheng restoring the Chenghua Large Jar, but watching a video could not convey the shock of witnessing the entire process in person, nor the contrast between the broken vessel before and after restoration.

Without comparison, there is no gap: Zhao Xiuneng was a legitimate descendant of palace craftsmen, and his technical level was undeniably high. But why did the Blue and White Bowl and the Western Han Dynasty Figure Cup he patched have such wide, obvious seams in the middle?

Because both were Colored Porcelain, and there was no way to use techniques like Gold Stapling or Gold Repair, otherwise it would be no different from ruining them.

But Zhao Xiuneng could not achieve what was seen on this cup: the color of the patterns at the patched areas had the exact same light sensation and visual effect as the adjacent glaze.

The only thing he could do was piece them together.

Moreover, it wasn't just Zhao Xiuneng; apart from the Forbidden City, Jingdezhen, and a few select ancient ceramic research institutions and museums, those in the private sector capable of Blue and White Porcelain Repair could be counted on one hand.

And which one of them wasn't a student of a famous master, past middle age, and possessed of a lifetime of refinement and accumulation?

Furthermore, who among them would dare pat their chest and say: it only takes a day and a half to repair four pieces of Tribute Porcelain, including one Pastel Plate and one Blue and White Cup?

It is estimated that three "day and a halves" might not even be enough.

Therefore, looking at Lin Sicheng's face again, it felt extremely unreal.

Just as he was feeling this, he heard the sound of things being packed up, and Zhang Jindong snapped back to reality. Afterward, he looked at the four pieces of porcelain on the table, wanting to speak but hesitating.

Lin Sicheng could roughly guess what he was thinking: nothing else, it was just repaired too quickly.

If it were at a normal speed, even Lin Sicheng would need five to seven days to finish, but the visiting delegation from the Cultural Relics Research Institute and the Forbidden City would arrive at the school in three days.

Without that much time, Lin Sicheng could only use his trump cards: for instance, the Ice Flake and Dragon's Blood Powder that many staff members found baffling.

The former contains Left Borneol, the latter contains Natural Resin, and when mixed with specially made powder and adhesive, the remaining pieces after assembly do not need Natural Air Drying to set; they can be placed directly into an Electric Kiln for low-temperature baking.

This saves forty-eight hours right there.

The Glaze Material ratio is even more ingenious: ordinary blue and white ware cannot exceed three hundred degrees after glaze repair and refiring; it can only be baked at a low temperature and needs to be fired for a full three days, otherwise, the color will turn gray.

The Glaze Material he formulated won't undergo chemical changes even at six hundred degrees; it seems like only three hundred degrees more, but the glaze repair and firing only take two hours. This saves another full three days.

But these are all trump cards and cannot be talked about casually. Zhang Jindong also knew this and automatically changed the subject:

"Teacher Lin, I've booked a table at the hotel next door. It's a bit late, but we must have this meal."

He definitely had to eat; in the afternoon, he had only gnawed on two bites of bread.

"As long as we don't drink alcohol!" Lin Sicheng smiled and pointed to the four pieces on the table, "I'll have to trouble Department Head Zhang; if the leaders are not satisfied after looking them over, please let me know, and we will study and improve further..."

How could they possibly be dissatisfied?

If it weren't so late, they would probably already be asleep. Otherwise, Zhang Jindong would definitely have urged the leaders to come back and sign the Contract on the spot.

He nodded solemnly: "Teacher Lin, I will still have to trouble you to come over again tomorrow morning!"

Zhang Jindong felt that regardless of when Lin Sicheng could find the time, the Contract had to be signed first.

It wasn't that he was in a hurry, but rather that he had sufficient confidence in Lin Sicheng's craftsmanship, and even more, it was a sign of respect for both parties in the cooperation.

As for whether to transport the remaining pieces to Xijing later, or for Lin Sicheng to come over periodically to repair a few when he had time, that could be discussed later.

"Department Head Zhang, that's fine!"

Lin Sicheng nodded, "But can we negotiate something? Department Head Zhang, you also know that I've been a bit busy lately, so please try not to set the quantity too high, the project duration too short, or perhaps be a bit more flexible... As for the cost, just give me the cost price!"

Zhang Jindong let out an "Ah."

This was a purely seller's market; he would have been satisfied if Lin Sicheng just agreed to cooperate, so he hadn't even thought about setting any project duration or task quantity for Lin Sicheng.

As for the cost, looking at the pieces on the table, even if the price were double what Zhao Xiuneng asked for, he would be perfectly willing to pay.

But Lin Sicheng actually said: just give me the cost price?

Seeing Zhang Jindong looking stunned, Lin Sicheng smiled:

"Department Head Zhang, there are many Level One museums in the country, but there are only a few that can take intangible cultural heritage as the core, dynamic inheritance as the main body, and comprehensively reflect ancient political ethics, ancient construction techniques, and scientific technology!"

"When the day comes that the Cultural Relics repaired by the Center are placed in the exhibition hall of the Gongwang Mansion, whether it's influence or popularity, it will spread like a plague. By then, would we still be worried about not making money?"

This wasn't flattery, but the truth. Lin Sicheng had never thought about making money from these exhibition institutions.

Therefore, it wasn't just this one; from now on, all museums he cooperated with would be charged at cost price.

The reason is simple: a museum is a comprehensive exhibition institution and cannot only exhibit porcelain. Even if they do, it is mainly complete pieces.

The proportion of repaired pieces exhibited will be very, very small; it is estimated that only a few or a dozen pieces can be repaired in a year. How much money can that make?

But the private sector is different: like the pieces on the table, when they were broken, no one wanted them even for a few hundred yuan. But after being repaired, they are worth at least tens or hundreds of thousands.

Don't doubt it, Imperial Porcelain is worth this price; even the remaining pieces after repair are still Imperial Porcelain.

Charging a twenty percent labor fee is a conscientious price; like Zhao Xiuxian's Baishan Studio, it's at least thirty percent or more, otherwise, the two brothers wouldn't have earned a fortune of hundreds of millions.

The point is: the popularity and influence of Baishan Studio are limited to the private collection circle. For craftsmanship like Lin Sicheng's, which can cooperate with Level One museums and specialize in repairing Qing Dynasty Imperial Porcelain, what percentage should he charge?

Also, no other large museum is like the Gongwang Mansion, with such great influence but such a shortage of Cultural Relics. Therefore, this is a living advertisement. To open up the situation in Beijing, this first shot must be fired...

In a flash, Lin Sicheng pointed to Zhao Xiuxian and Zhao Xiuneng beside him, "There are many things to do in Xijing, and later I have to go to other famous kilns to study, so here in Beijing, I can only entrust it to Senior Brother Zhao and General Manager Zhao. If there is anything you need help with in the future, Department Head Zhang, you can contact them directly..."

Zhang Jindong expressed his gratitude profusely and exchanged mobile numbers with the two brothers.

After saving the number, Zhao Xiuneng glanced at his second brother.

Zhao Xiuxian gave a sheepish smile and sighed inwardly: judging a gentleman with a petty mind, I worried for nothing!

After tidying up as quickly as possible, the group went to the hotel.

Zhang Jindong and his accompanying staff were extremely enthusiastic. Lin Sicheng, as usual, did not drink alcohol, but Wang Qi Zhi and the two General Managers Zhao drank every cup dry.

All evening, Wang Qi Zhi's mouth hadn't closed from smiling.

Just think, coming to Beijing this time, how much face had his student gained for him?

It wouldn't take long for the news that Lin Sicheng had repaired four pieces of Tribute Porcelain for the Gongwang Mansion to spread like wildfire.

Not to mention the previous two pieces, just the Pastel Plate and the Blue and White Cup—it only took less than two days. What kind of concept is that?

At an auction at Xiling, how many long-established Experts were made to look sideways because of it?

Does Dan Guoqiang count, does Lv Chenglong count, does Yu Zhiyuan from the Academy of Arts count, and does Zhang Jindong, who is currently holding a decanter and urging them to drink, count?

Not to mention the lecture at the Cultural Heritage Research Institute that stunned the audience.

Which one of those sitting in the audience wasn't a big shot in the field of archaeology?

Regardless of who taught these skills, just ask: is Lin Sicheng his, Wang Qi Zhi's, student?

Who would dare say in the future that he, Wang Qi Zhi, is just bragging all day long?

Compared to this, Zhao Xiuneng and Zhao Xiuxian were even more so.

Because they were even more convinced that Lin Sicheng was a thigh that was thick enough, high-value enough, and long-lasting enough to hold onto.

But their statuses were different, and their roles were different, so the two brothers could only secretly rejoice.

Just like that, the banquet concluded with both host and guests fully satisfied...

(End of this chapter)