Reborn Treasure Appraiser: I Really Didn’t Want to Be an Expert

Chapter 230 Poetry and Prose Porcelain Pillow
The sky was bright and clear, a warm breeze was blowing, and the pine branches swayed gently.

Four iron oxen stand tall in the square, their surfaces gleaming black.

The four figures and four oxen were cast during the Kaiyuan era of the Tang Dynasty. They were originally iron piles used to stabilize the Pujin pontoon bridge connecting Qin (Shaanxi) and Jin (Shanxi), and have a history of more than 1,200 years.

Each iron ox weighs 1,110 tons. Given the technological level of the Tang Dynasty, it is a miracle that they could be cast and stand on the shore.
For over a thousand years, they have been exposed to the elements on land for six hundred years and then submerged in water for another six hundred years, yet the four figures and four oxen still appear lifelike. Isn't that a miracle?
Everyone talks about national treasures, and Lin Sicheng felt that these bottles truly deserved the title.

Unfortunately, later on, some expert suggested that prolonged exposure to rain would cause the acidic substances in the rainwater to corrode the iron oxen. The local government believed this and rushed to build four sheds.

As a result, the iron ox, which hadn't rusted for over a thousand years despite wind and rain, started to rust.
Therefore, sometimes you can't listen to everything the experts say.

Wang Qizhi contacted the city government in advance. When he heard that they were looking for Puzhou porcelain, the leaders attached great importance to it and specially sent a reception team.

There were four people: two staff members from the Bureau of Culture, one deputy director of the Office of Local History, and one curator of the Municipal Museum.

The last two were very professional and explained things in detail:

"Puzhou (ancient Yuncheng, now Yongji) has a long history of porcelain making, as recorded in the Yuan Dynasty's 'Yuan Yitongzhi', the Ming Dynasty's 'Yongle Encyclopedia' and 'Gegu Yaolun', and the Qing Dynasty's 'Tao Shuo'..."

The Qing Dynasty book *Yinliuzhai Shuoci* states that cloisonné enamelware originated in the Yuan Dynasty and flourished in the Ming Dynasty, mostly produced in northern kilns, with the best quality coming from the Puzhou area… Zhao Ruzhen's *Guide to Antiques* from the Republican era also states that cloisonné enamelware originated in the Yuan Dynasty and was first fired in Puzhou, Shanxi…

"Many cultural relics have been unearthed, with discoveries frequently made not only in this province but also in Guangdong and Hainan, and museums in both provinces have collections... This indicates that during the Song and Yuan dynasties, cloisonné ware was already widespread throughout the country and was being exported,"

Lin Sicheng neither confirmed nor denied: It's not that it became popular throughout the country, but during the Southern Song Dynasty, Fahua ware was indeed exported, but it was not produced in Shanxi, but in Jingdezhen.

It's obvious that Shanxi belonged to the Yuan Dynasty at that time, so how could it have been transported to Guangdong and Guangxi?
Of course, Jingdezhen was indeed imitating the craftsmanship of Shanxi at that time, and the curator was not wrong: among all of Shanxi, Puzhou enamelware is the most exquisite.

Unfortunately, the kiln site has never been found, and historical records are extremely scarce, making it impossible to deduce the technology.

It wasn't until the complete excavation of the Xianhai No. 1 shipwreck in 2016, with enough samples available, that the restoration work could proceed in an orderly manner.

However, Gaoping County ultimately won the award, followed closely by Yangquan County. Both counties' cloisonné ware techniques were listed as provincial intangible cultural heritage.

Whether it has been approved as a national intangible cultural heritage is unknown, but it's only a matter of time before it becomes one of the "Three Treasures of Shanxi," alongside "Chengni Inkstone" and "Tuiguangware."

Lin Sicheng recalls that since 2020, these two counties have brought cloisonné enamelware to the World Expo held by the state every year, and they have been signing orders non-stop.

On the contrary, Yongji, which planned the earliest and invested the most, gained nothing. The reason for this was that they were going in the wrong direction: they only focused on finding kilns, but neglected technical research, and in the end, someone else beat them to it.

After silently sighing and listening to the curator and the director of the local history office talk for a while, Lin Sicheng pointed to the embankment on the riverbank:
"Teachers, when you were building the dike, was it here that you discovered the Jin Dynasty tombs?"

"Yes, there were five sites of varying sizes. They unearthed several boxes of Da Ding Tong Bao coins (Wanyan Yong, the fifth emperor of the Jin Dynasty) and Yuan Feng Tong Bao coins (Emperor Shenzong Zhao Xu, the sixth emperor of the Northern Song Dynasty), and even more porcelain, mostly Song Dynasty pieces... Unfortunately, there wasn't much awareness of preservation back then. By the time the report was submitted to the county, the items had already been looted by the laborers..."

The old factory manager once said that in the struggle for copper coins and silver ingots, porcelain was smashed and trampled on. In the end, those who didn't get any copper coins were robbed of the porcelain, leaving only a pile of broken pieces.

After having someone look at it, it was deemed worthless, so it was eventually pushed away and that was the end of it.

Are there many privately owned collections of those?

"I don't know how many there are, but there are definitely some. I saw some a couple of years ago."

The curator pointed to a spot not far away, “In the first two years, there was a flood, and half of the old county government office wall collapsed, and some pieces were washed away… I brought people to see it, and we didn’t find any complete pieces, but there were quite a few porcelain shards.”

"Is it also Song Dynasty porcelain?"

"I haven't studied it in depth, so I don't know for now! Judging from the craftsmanship, it seems to be Cizhou ware..."

The two porcelain shards that the old factory director gave him were made using the Cizhou kiln technique.

Lin Sicheng paused for a moment, then followed the direction the curator was pointing.

Not far, just a little east of Tie Niu.
The city gates were wide open, and the city walls were overgrown with weeds.

"Curator, are the porcelain shards still there?"

"No one usually picks up porcelain shards, they should be here!"

It's good that you're here.

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Director Feng, shall we go take a look?"

"it is good!"

A group of people got on the bus, and after about a kilometer, they arrived in no time.

The stone wall is mottled, and white alkali is visible at the base, as if it has psoriasis.

To prevent it from collapsing and injuring people, the doorway was supported by a steel roof frame. The weeds were ankle-deep, and the stone path was covered with a thick layer of dried mud.

The curator led the way into the gate. There were hardly any intact buildings inside, only a few scattered stone walls.

After recalling what had happened, the curator led them north for about two or three hundred meters when Lin Sicheng suddenly stopped.

A few shards of porcelain lay scattered among the weeds, their glaze smooth and their texture fine. They were exactly the same as the pieces he had bought from the fat shopkeeper.

He picked it up and continued walking, but after a few steps, Lin Sicheng squatted down again.

Three or four porcelain shards, resembling the lower half of a basin or jar. The body color is slightly dark, and the glaze is somewhat dull, but the black floral pattern on a white background is particularly eye-catching.

Lin Sicheng picked it up, his eyes narrowing slightly.

No wonder the curator was convinced that these were Cizhou porcelain pieces. These pieces are imitations of the white-ground, black-decorated style of Cizhou porcelain.

The same decorative techniques and the same firing process.

The only difference lies in the different porcelain clay, which leads to different body textures and consequently affects the color of the glaze: Cizhou kaolin clay is high in silicon and aluminum, and has a high iron content, so the glaze is grayish and has a milky appearance.

The piece in my hand is made of high-alumina, calcium-rich clay from Hejin. It is white with a slight bluish tinge and has a higher degree of vitrification, making it more transparent.

If we have to make a comparison, in terms of exquisiteness and craftsmanship, the Cizhou ware of the same period seems to be slightly inferior.
However, this is just a guess. To determine whether it is true or not, we need to conduct tests and analyses. It would be best to find a few finished pieces for comparison.

Lin Sicheng didn't say anything and continued forward.

He had already stepped over, but paused for a moment and then stepped back.

Several shards of porcelain lay hidden in the grass at my feet, covered in mud that had dried completely and were no longer recognizable.

Several people squatted down in unison, their roles clearly defined:
Lin Sicheng picked up the specimens, Fang Jin dug out the mud, Wang Qizhi wiped them with a wet wipe, and Ye Anning was responsible for putting them into specimen bags.

After loading two pieces, Ye Anning paused slightly.

Both are white porcelain, both have white backgrounds with carved designs, but they have three characters on them: "as big as a beard".

There should be more words before and after, but Ye Anning couldn't remember them.

"Uncle, what's so big as a beard?"

"No recollection?" Wang Qizhi shook his head. "Lin Sicheng, as big as a beard what?"

"The Buddha viewed a single grain of rice as large as Mount Sumeru... This comes from the Theravada Buddhist classic, the Agamas."

Lin Sicheng replied, took the piece, and examined it: "The original should have been a plum vase with poetic patterns, imitating the white-ground carved black-painted Cizhou ware... It's a decorative piece, but the impurities weren't completely removed; there are too many black spots, and the craftsmanship is only average... Hmm, Ming Dynasty." "Buddhist scriptures?"

"Buddhist scriptures!"

Ye Anning pursed her lips and continued stuffing. But then, she paused for a moment.

It's also a black-and-white porcelain piece, but with a relatively flat curve, so it must be a fragment of a larger item.

Compared to the piece "as big as a beard", this piece is clearly free of any black spots or blemishes caused by impurities.

Seeing that the others didn't move, Lin Sicheng turned around and narrowed his eyes. He reached into his pocket and pulled out the two pieces that the old factory director had given him.

Several people craned their necks forward in unison: Isn't this the kind of porcelain Lin Sicheng was talking about, with carved flowers on a white background and black glaze?
At first glance, it sounds exactly the same as Cizhou ware, but there are essential differences between the two: Cizhou ware is made by covering a white body with a black glaze, and then removing the excess black glaze to reveal the white body, forming a black and white contrast pattern.

This method involves carving the design directly onto the unglazed clay body, then filling the grooves with black glaze or black clay.

But that's not the point; it's the body and glaze. Even Fang Jin, Wang Qizhi, and even Ye Anning, who was basically a novice, could tell the difference:

The piece I just picked up is thinner, finer, and has a brighter glaze than the two pieces the old factory director gave me; it's even whiter.

Even the carving and embellishment techniques seem superior.

More importantly, there is a faint hint of blue hidden beneath the white glaze: Lin Sicheng is certain that neither the Ding kiln, Cizhou kiln, nor the Southern Song official kiln of the same period produced white porcelain with this color.

This is definitely a specialty of Yuncheng. Once that's confirmed, there's no need to look for any kilns...

Lin Sicheng breathed a sigh of relief: "A square washer in imitation of official ware, a Song dynasty porcelain!"

As he spoke, he pulled out the pieces he had bought from the fat shop owner: "They should all be from the same kiln, no more than twenty years apart!"

If we can find this piece, today's trip will not have been in vain, let alone that there are so many here.

The other three perked up and squatted down on the spot.

But before he could scrape off a few pieces, the phone buzzed, and Lin Sicheng answered it casually: "Boheng!"

"Master, my dad wants you to come back first. He said that Boss Zhuang received several complete pieces of porcelain. They are all white porcelain, and all have white backgrounds with carved patterns filled with black enamel. They should be the kind we're looking for..."

Lin Sicheng's eyes lit up slightly: He had thought that there must be some private collections, but he did not expect it to happen so quickly.
We arrived in the county yesterday and then split into two groups. Lin Sicheng and Wang Qizhi were responsible for searching for clues, while Zhao Xiuneng and Zhuang Zijing were responsible for collecting information.

Only one day has passed...

He hung up the phone and looked at the two leaders accompanying him: "Director Feng, a friend has received two complete pieces, and we need to go back. Could we hire a few people here to help sort through them? We should try to collect as many white porcelain pieces as possible."

What's wrong with saying it's impossible?
The two nodded in unison.

Lin Sicheng thanked them, and the group hurriedly got into the car.

Watching Lin Sicheng's retreating figure, the director of the local history office frowned: "Old Feng, do Fahua ware also have white porcelain?"

Director Feng was on the phone hiring someone when he paused for a moment: "Fahua Fahua, it must be colored porcelain, it has nothing to do with white porcelain at all."

The county's excessive hospitality is probably just a waste of effort.

But then again, they didn't eat and stay for free; they paid for everything...

With a sigh, Director Feng dialed a number: "Old Sun, tell those guys from the archaeological team to come to the ancient city and bring a lot of sample bags... Don't worry, they won't be wasting your time!"

……

They sped along for about half an hour and returned to the county hotel.

Zhao Boheng and the others waited in the hall and led Lin Sicheng to the adjacent reception room. As soon as they entered, the group stood up in unison.

Zhao Xiuneng, Zhuang Zijing, Zhuang Yi, and two middle-aged men I didn't recognize.

"Teacher Lin, this gentleman is surnamed Gao, and this gentleman is surnamed Yan. They are both well-known local entrepreneurs!"

"Nice to meet you!"

After shaking hands, Lin Sicheng made a rough deduction: they were probably all quite wealthy.

But judging from his lack of enthusiasm with Zhuang Zijing, it's likely that his father introduced them.

The brother and sister have been running around doing everything they can for us lately, and they've really been a great help...

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Zhao Xiuneng pointed to the side.

The sizable coffee table was covered with a whole set of dishes. There were bowls, cups, pillows, bottles, and even some broken utensils, but Lin Sicheng was suddenly stunned after just one glance.

What's this?
White glazed bowls, black-flowered plum vases, porcelain pillows with poems, and even half a piece of tricolor porcelain pillow.
Zhuang Zijing did more than just a small favor; he helped a huge amount this time...

He composed himself and picked up a white porcelain bowl.

It has a sunflower-shaped mouth, a deep belly, and a ring foot.

It has a plain surface without any patterns, and the glaze is pure and lustrous, like jade.

It's so thin it's almost unbelievable: when you shine a flashlight on it, you can see the complete halo of light from the back.

It is white, also extremely white, and has an elegant jade-like texture. But it is very faint, indistinct, and almost imperceptible.

Historically, this type of porcelain had a special name: Egg White Jade.

It refers to two things: firstly, its thinness, like an eggshell; and secondly, its pale blue jade-like texture.

Without even looking at the degree of aging, Lin Sicheng could tell at a glance: it was Song Dynasty porcelain.

But putting everything else aside, just consider the thickness: the wall thickness is less than one millimeter. In the Song Dynasty, you could count the kilns with this level of technology on two hands.

Let out a breath, and Lin Sicheng picked up another half of the porcelain pillow: half a lotus flower, a few lotus leaves, yellow, green and white, the colors were bright and harmonious, with a strong contrast.

The inner red clay body has a relatively loose texture, but this is not due to poor craftsmanship. Rather, it is a clay body that was intentionally fired to allow for breathability and sweat absorption.

Looking at the decoration, it is a typical black-based carved and colored technique, just like the porcelain shards he picked up today.

The only drawback is that the glaze is not applied well; it's too thick and too rich. The body is also rather brittle, and the glaze is somewhat over-fired.

Compared to white-glazed bowls, the craftsmanship has clearly deteriorated; judging by the degree of aging, it is either from the Jin or Yuan dynasties.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Sicheng put it down and picked up the white porcelain pillow with the poem on it.

But as soon as he held it in his hand, his pupils contracted and his heart skipped a beat.

Lin Sicheng finally remembered where the porcelain pillow he had seen in the Forbidden City was hidden, in his vague memory.
The Hall of Mental Cultivation, the sleeping quarters of Emperor Qianlong.

A white-glazed porcelain pillow with an inscription by Emperor Qianlong, decorated with incised designs on a pearl-like background.

(End of this chapter)