Chapter 487: Higher, Not Lower

"First, let me explain the principle of kiln-transmutation for Jian cups: because the iron, phosphorus, manganese, and other elements in the Jian Kiln ceramic clay and glaze materials are too high, and the kiln temperature reaches about 1,300 degrees, the phosphorus and manganese elements act as catalysts:

They cause trivalent iron (Fe*) to be reduced to ferrous iron (Fe+) and metallic iron (Fe)... because the atoms are different, supersaturated iron crystals will form within the glaze crystals...

"Then, during the cooling process, the oversaturated iron elements precipitate, forming iron oxide crystals, such as yellow and red hematite, blue magnetite, and other crystals, thereby forming oil drop, rabbit hair, and other colorful halo textures... This is the craft principle of Jian cup kiln-transmutation, and also a necessary prerequisite... Secondly, because the iron element is too high, Jian cups must be dominated by dark glazes. Like kiln-transmutation porcelain, the base glaze must be black glaze. But titanium oxide is white; if the content is high, it will inevitably increase the whiteness of the body... That is why the body color of this bowl is so light, and it looks white within the gray..."

"Secondly, at high temperatures, titanium and iron will form ilmenite (FeTiOs). This compound has a low melting point and will produce a large number of bubbles, causing the structural strength of the body to decrease. Therefore, Jian cups with excessively high titanium content are relatively lighter in weight..."

"Third, excessive titanium will also affect the glaze color: the titanium element will produce a light yellow tone in the glaze layer, which is why the glaze color change in the transition area of this bowl is so rich..."

"Fourth, and the most important point: excessive titanium will lower the glaze melting temperature. Consequently, this will cause the anorthite crystals to be inhibited and the iron crystals to be over-oxidized. Therefore, the hair patterns will appear yellowish-green, and the glaze surface will lose the unique cyan-blue ghostly light of the cyan rabbit hair, as if covered by a layer of fog..." Lin Sicheng held the bowl, turning it as he spoke, while the others looked at each other in dismay.

It is true that Peng Yanzhi is an Expert in ancient ceramic research, but he primarily researches mainstream porcelain: such as Official Kiln blue and white, and Official Kiln Colored Porcelain.

Only secondarily does he research local porcelain: such as Guangcai Gold Weaving, Shi Kiln Jun Glaze, Blue Glaze, Chaozhou Kiln Green-White Glaze, Meixian Kiln Celadon, Yangjiang Kiln Carved Flower, Huizhou Kiln Crackle Porcelain, and so on.

He basically does not dabble in folk kilns from other provinces like Jian Kiln. Especially with kiln-transmutation cups, which have a pitifully small number of surviving pieces, he cannot find test samples even if he wants to research them. Therefore, at most, Peng Yanzhi only knows the basic firing process and craft characteristics.

Of course, there is definitely no problem using it for identification. But when it comes to in-depth analysis—which elements in the glaze and body lead to which changes, and what kind of characteristics will be formed—he really cannot say.

Zhao Xiuneng's strength lies in his extensive knowledge: although he has not researched finished products much, he has several baskets of broken Jian cup shards at home. After pondering them a lot, he gained experience.

But he is similar to Peng Yanzhi; identification is certainly no problem, but when it comes to analytical research, he is a long way off.

If even the two of them are like this, let alone the others?

Wang Qi Zhi counts as a layman, and Chen Shiquan is not even as good as a layman; the two of them are like they are listening to gibberish.

Lin Sicheng said so much, but General Manager Chen only remembered four words: too much titanium added!

But why add titanium?

He was full of suspicion: "This bowl, isn't it made of Jianyang ceramic clay?"

"No, just the opposite!"

Lin Sicheng turned the bowl over and pointed at the bottom foot, "This bowl not only uses Jian Kiln clay, but it is also from the core zone of the Jian Kiln Ceramic Clay Mine: the ceramic clay in the area of Houjing and Chicun in Shuiji Town, Jianyang District, NP City.

The same goes for the glaze preparation; this bowl still uses the aged glaze fruit from Shuiji ceramic clay... To put it simply, any kiln-transmutation cup must use the ceramic clay from this area to mold the body and use glaze fruit to prepare the glaze..."

"Then, since it is clay from the same origin and glaze fruit from the same origin, why is the base body of this bowl grayish and the glaze light greenish? The answer is here: Ming Imitation..."

"General Manager Chen, let me make an irresponsible guess: by the Southern Song Dynasty, the Shuiji ceramic clay suitable for firing kiln-transmutation Jian cups had already been dug out. The ceramic clay dug out afterwards had undergone great changes in various elements, and one of them is titanium...

The titanium content of this bowl is about two percent, but the titanium content of genuine Jian Kiln kiln-transmutation porcelain is less than zero point five percent. The gap in between is a full four to five times..."

Chen Shiquan was half-believing and half-doubting: what is called an irresponsible guess?

Since it is a guess, how dare you speak so confidently?

But the remaining three were all stunned: the Jian cup clay in Shuiji Town was dug out in the Southern Song Dynasty... How come we didn't know? It has never been written in relevant historical materials either?

Even now, that area is still mining ceramic clay and is still being used in large quantities to fire Jian cups...

Zhao Xiuneng and Wang Qi Zhi reacted faster: whenever Lin Sicheng says, "I'll make a blind guess," or "I'll make an irresponsible guess," then one hundred percent, what he is saying is the truth.

Thinking this way, they suddenly turned the corner: so that's why the craft of Jian cup kiln-transmutation suddenly went extinct by the end of the Southern Song Dynasty?

It seems it was not a break in technical inheritance, but what Lin Sicheng is saying now: the ceramic clay was dug out.

Conversely, to say how complex the kiln-transmutation craft of Jian Kiln cups is, it is not necessarily so; at least in ancient times, it could be artificially controlled. Because in the nineties, the Archaeology Team excavated a considerable number of porcelain shards at the Yingzhanggan Kiln Site and Dalu Houmen Kiln Site of Jian Kiln:

Among the tens of thousands of broken porcelain pieces, those with rabbit hair patterns accounted for about 60%, and pure black (Wujin Glaze) accounted for about 25%. While oil drops, iron rust spots, and diversified glaze colors and patterns such as sauce green (tea green) accounted for 5%.

If it could not be artificially controlled, the number of rabbit hair cups could not have reached more than twice that of ordinary black glaze porcelain.

Also being kiln-transmutation porcelain, the yield of Jun Porcelain is less than one in ten. An old saying goes, ten kilns and nine failures, which refers to Jun Porcelain. To put it bluntly: it relies entirely on luck. Then, with such a high success rate for Jian cup kiln-transmutation, why say stop firing and stop firing?

In any case, it is definitely not what was publicized to the outside world: because the tea-drinking culture in the Yuan Dynasty changed, leading to the decline of Jian Kiln.

The Yuan Dynasty had a tax-farming system, and the basic foundation of the southern gentry class was not severely damaged. It is impossible that the grandfather and father liked to drink tea, but when it came to the son and grandson, they suddenly stopped drinking it?

In a flash, the two looked at each other: the clay was dug out, so even if there was technology, it was useless.

Peng Yanzhi's reaction was a bit slower, mainly because he did not understand Lin Sicheng, so he did not quite understand: since you are guessing, why is your tone so certain? "Sicheng, in the Records of the Grand Historian, has there ever been a similar record?"

After a slight pause, Peng Yanzhi added another sentence: "However, the authorities have never released any relevant Information to the public?"

"There shouldn't be in the Records of the Grand Historian, at least I haven't seen it..." Lin Sicheng smiled, "As for the authorities, even if it is true, they will not announce it..." Why not announce it?

Peng Yanzhi was just about to ask, and the words were on his lips, but he suddenly stopped.

He patted his forehead: if it were him, he wouldn't announce it either.

Nanping is located in the central part of Fujian, in the northern Fujian region, with many mountains within its borders, basically no industry, and agricultural development is only average.

The most famous things are Jian Kiln and Jian cups.

In recent years, the local area has taken "Song Dynasty Jian Kiln" as the focus of publicity, trying to develop the tourism economy. At the same time, it vigorously promotes pottery culture, ancient porcelain culture, and ancient tea culture. And one of them is the Craft Restoration of kiln-transmutation cups.

It means that "Jian cups" and "kiln-transmutation cups" have become the local cultural business card. As a result, you say that the ceramic clay that can fire Jian cups was dug out long ago? This is digging one's own foundation and slapping one's own face...

While pondering, Peng Yanzhi suddenly felt something was wrong and raised his head abruptly.

Lin Sicheng thought that Director Peng wanted to ask how he knew?

He smiled: "Director Peng, in fact, experts and scholars who research Jian cups, especially those committed to restoring the kiln-transmutation cup craft, basically know this situation. But out of consideration that it will affect local economic development, no one will take the initiative to publicize it..."

"Those who do not research Jian cups also do not pay attention to this, so naturally, few people know..."

Peng Yanzhi nodded vigorously: he understood the logic, of course, but what he was concerned about was not this.

"Sicheng, have you researched Jian cups?"

Lin Sicheng did not deny it: "Research is not the word; I have just understood a little and know the basic craft process."

Peng Yanzhi really wanted to shake his head: impossible.

If he only understood a little, it would be impossible to go so deep: just by relying on the naked eye, just by relying on the changes in body color and glaze light, he could deduce the composition ratio of trace elements in the glaze clay. Even, could he be accurate to one percent?

The key is, from beginning to end, how many minutes did he look at it?

No need to doubt, it must be experience piled up from countless experiments and data analysis.

The problem is, where did he get so many test samples?

But having just met not long ago, it was not easy to pursue the question, so Peng Yanzhi just muttered in his heart.

As for whether Lin Sicheng identified it correctly... he was inclined to think so.

"Sicheng, if it is a Ming Imitation, which kiln should it have come from?"

Lin Sicheng was very certain: "Other than the Official Kiln, there could not be a second one: it should be soil dug from Jishui in Jianyang, aged into porcelain clay and Glaze Material, then transported to Jingdezhen to shape the body and fire the glaze..."

It was much the same as what Peng Yanzhi had deduced: after the Song Dynasty, the Jian Kiln stopped firing. And apart from the Jian Kiln, the only one that could imitate a Jian Bowl to this degree was the Official Kiln. As such, it was truly as Lin Sicheng said: although it was an imitation, it was not necessarily worthless.

The logic was simple: although the Jian Bowl was famous, it was a product of a Folk Kiln. The reason it was expensive was simply because it was rare.

If this Bowl was produced by a Ming Official Kiln, then it was a genuine Official Kiln porcelain, worth at least a million or more. In terms of rarity, it was even more so than a Jian Bowl.

In any case, he had never seen a Ming Dynasty imitation Jian Bowl; this was the first one...

While pondering, he looked at the Bowl again: "Sicheng, a non-destructive Spectrometer should be able to determine it, right?"

"Yes!" Lin Sicheng nodded, "An X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer to measure the elements of the body and glaze, and a Laser Raman Spectrometer to measure the mineral phase of the Glaze Material (iron results, Feldspar), one test and we'll know..."

"That's good... General Manager Chen, test it! I will contact someone now, you send it over." Peng Yanzhi turned around, "It won't take much time, we can have the results in a few minutes."

Since non-destructive testing was possible, of course it had to be tested.

Chen Shiquan was just a bit unwilling: a perfectly good Song Dynasty Jian Bowl, suddenly becoming an imitation?

It was no wonder he was suspicious; it was truly because Lin Sicheng was too young.

Having played with collections for so many years, he had seen countless Appraisers and Experts. Not to mention these two, even the students of Experts or the apprentices of Appraisers, which one of them wasn't over thirty?

And this one was just barely in his early twenties...

But as for not believing or questioning, with Peng Yanzhi's attitude, how could he dare to speak recklessly?

While pondering, Chen Shiquan greeted them enthusiastically: "Everyone, sit down and have some tea!"

They had just finished drinking in the lobby and hadn't even been upstairs for an hour, how could they drink any more?

"Thank you, General Manager Chen, we'll have tea later!" Wang Qi Zhi waved his hand and looked at Lin Sicheng, "Since we are here, why not take a look around?" Lin Sicheng hesitated for a moment: "Teacher, is that okay?"

Looking was easy, a side task, nothing more than spending a bit of time.

Besides, General Manager Chen had opened his collection room for them to see; although they hadn't found what he wanted, this favor was not small.

Helping with a small favor was only right and proper.

Lin Sicheng was worried that if too many problematic items were identified, General Manager Chen would lose face.

Wang Qi Zhi understood as soon as he heard, and began to hesitate: what Lin Sicheng was worried about was not unreasonable.

To put it bluntly, most rich people who collect are like the Emperor's New Clothes, deceiving themselves. Among them, at least half of the wealthy merchants probably didn't have ten real items out of a hundred in their collection rooms.

Therefore, many in the appraisal business say that wealthy merchants are foolish with too much money, lacking the eye but loving to collect, daring to buy anything. In fact, they don't understand; they think it's because of that, but wealthy merchants collecting is just a front, playing with finance is the goal.

For example, if the company made 50 million this year, but I use 40 million to buy antiques, it means this part of the money is spent again, making a secondary investment, so of course, there is no need to pay taxes.

As for whether the purchased collection is worth 40 million or only 40,000, that's not your concern; in any case, 40 million has definitely left the account.

After this 40 million goes through a few washes, whose pocket it ends up in, you definitely won't be able to trace it.

Then, if by any chance the company is poorly managed one day, insolvent, and needs to be auctioned. Even if no one wants these collections for 400 yuan, during liquidation, they are at least 40 million in fixed assets.

That is why Lin Sicheng asked: is it okay?

Chen Shiquan didn't understand, but Peng Yanzhi could, and he couldn't help but smile: "Sicheng, don't worry, General Manager Chen doesn't play that game here, at least not here... If you are willing to help him look, he would be too grateful."

Hearing this, Chen Shiquan finally realized: this young man wanted to help him appraise everything here?

Good heavens... how capable must he be, how high must his eye be?

Peng Yanzhi had been here at least eight or ten times; would he dare to say he could appraise all the porcelain on this half-floor?

Thinking this, Chen Shiquan's expression was natural: after all, he was a relative of Director Ye, so he had to show respect.

He put on a grateful look: "Everyone, I couldn't ask for more..."

Since he said so, then they would take a look.

Lin Sicheng subconsciously raised his hand, and only after it was halfway up did he realize: today, Fang Jin and Li Zhen didn't come, and Zhao Da and Zhao Er didn't come either. But Ye Anning was quick-eyed and fast-handed, swiftly taking the bag and then swiftly taking out the gloves.

She even held open the cuffs, preparing to help him put them on.

Lin Sicheng hurriedly smiled: "Cousin Ye, I'll do it myself!"

Ye Anning rolled her eyes and threw the gloves to him: "Haven't I been your Assistant before?"

It was true: in the spring when they went to Yuncheng, because there weren't enough hands, Li Zhen and Fang Jin were drafted to do experiments with him. The usual records, some simple materials, and tools were all prepared for him by Ye Anning.

She had helped him put on gloves and even helped him put on his lab coat.

Lin Sicheng smiled: "It's different!"

Because at that time, if Ye Anning didn't help, then his teacher Wang Qi Zhi would have to help.

Ye Anning didn't speak, just pursed her lips.

Wang Qi Zhi and Zhao Xiuneng were long used to it and didn't think much of it. But Chen Shiquan and Peng Yanzhi found it more and more wrong the more they looked.

They had known Ye Xingchi for quite a while, and although they hadn't asked, they basically understood his family situation.

Since she was Director Ye's niece and came from Beijing, Ye Anning's identity was obvious.

If they weren't mistaken, this Miss Ye's parents had a higher rank than Director Ye.

Looking at how the two interacted, they instantly had a guess: this young man probably wasn't Director Ye's relative yet, but would soon become one...

Exchanging a look, Peng Yanzhi took down the tea bowl: "Professor Wang, General Manager Zhao, Sicheng, you look first, I'll go call the museum and have them preheat the machine!"

Chen Shiquan took the box, carefully packed it inside, and then cupped his hands: "Everyone, excuse me, I'll be away for a..."

The three of them nodded in unison: "Please go ahead, both of you!"

With something worth millions, if he couldn't figure it out, Chen Shiquan couldn't even eat.

Chen Shiquan also instructed his son and the butler: "Host them well, I'll be back soon!"

"Dad, I understand!"

Saying this, the two went downstairs, and Lin Sicheng put on his gloves and picked up the Magnifying Glass.

The younger General Manager Chen and the butler stood quietly to the side.

On the other side, Chen Shiquan carried the box and walked downstairs, with Peng Yanzhi following closely behind.

Upon reaching the first floor, Chen Shiquan pointed upward: "Director Peng, what is that person's background?"

Knowing he was asking about Lin Sicheng, Peng Yanzhi replied without hesitation: "A scholar of ancient Ceramics!"

Chen Shiquan was stunned: "A what?"

A scholar?

Which scholar isn't seventy or eighty years old?

This one doesn't even have a few hairs on his chin...

It was indeed hard to grasp, so Peng Yanzhi changed his phrasing: "An expert, an expert who can appraise and can also restore!"

Chen Shiquan was half-doubting: Those hands were indeed quite dark...

"How expert?"

"Two or three times as expert as me!"

Hearing this, Chen Shiquan was stunned once again, blinking his eyes.

It was as if he were saying: How old is he, and how old are you?

"General Manager Chen, don't disbelieve it..."

Peng Yanzhi suddenly remembered, "Do you still remember Director Lv from Beijing?"

"Of course I remember!"

That was the year before last; Chen Shiquan wanted to give a gift and invited Peng Yanzhi to go to Beijing together to help him hunt for a rare item.

Upon arriving in Beijing, Peng Yanzhi had invited Lv Chenglong at the first opportunity.

The director of the Ceramics Research Institute at the Forbidden City, a famous Ceramics Expert and scholar... It could be said that after being in collecting for so many years, the number of experts Chen Shiquan had met was too many to count, but Director Lv was the top-tier expert he had ever met.

"Lin Sicheng and Director Lv are Partners; the two of them are roughly on the same level!" Peng Yanzhi said bluntly, "This isn't what I said, but what Director Lv said: whether it is research ability or appraisal level, Lin Sicheng is on par with him..."

Actually, he had understated it; according to Director Lv's own words, Lin Sicheng's ability was only higher than his, not lower...

Chen Shiquan, however, widened his eyes: "Director Lv said that himself?"

Obviously!

Peng Yanzhi nodded: "I only just called him last night..."