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

Chapter 273 was handwritten?
The meeting room was quiet, with all the experts staring intently at the screen.

The ancients called porcelain "Rao Yu". What is Rao Yu?

Tao Ji (Southern Song Dynasty): "White as jade, bright as a mirror, thin as paper... It was sold elsewhere, hence the name 'Rao Yu' (meaning 'abundant jade')."

This refers to the celadon porcelain from Hutian Kiln.

However, after more than 20 years of research, Jingdezhen has already concluded that the Yingqing porcelain technique was lost after the Southern Song Dynasty.

But suddenly, in Hejin, a place many people don't know where, the craft of inheriting Yingqing porcelain suddenly appeared, and four kiln sites from the Song, Jin, Yuan, Ming and Qing dynasties were successively explored.

It's really hard to accept.

First, it's too sudden: whenever there's a major archaeological discovery, all media outlets, from the central government to local governments, rush to report on it.

Only after generating enough hype, attracting enough attention, and creating a sufficient sensation and influence will the relevant authorities organize subsequent excavation work. As for tracing the origins of the technology, that will have to wait until the site is excavated before any plans are made.

But this Hejin kiln, which had been quiet and unknown, suddenly appeared?

Secondly, time: For ordinary sites, the exploration and excavation cycle is at least in the years, ranging from one or two years to three to five years.

The research cycle is even longer: for example, the Hutian Kiln mentioned earlier has been studied for more than 20 years since the early 1980s and is still ongoing.

How long did it take the child on stage?

The process lasted four months, including collecting cultural relics, exploring kiln sites, identification and testing, analysis and analysis, and authentication of craftsmanship and techniques.

It's as if he had already completed the exploration and evolution of the technology and even achieved groundbreaking results before the kiln site was even excavated?

The key point is that they found four kilns in just three months from start to finish.
Oh no... five sites, including one Yangshao culture site dating back about 5,000 years, which not only includes two pottery kilns, but also unearthed two pottery silkworm pupae that were discovered for the first time in China.

Looking at the exploration report on the screen: all five kiln sites are buried beneath the cultural layer, with no obvious markers on the surface. Does this mean that every discovery during exploration is simply a matter of luck?
Chejibadan: Once is luck, five times is also luck?
No one spoke, and the atmosphere in the room grew increasingly strange.

Lin Sicheng's success was not due to luck, but to science. To put it simply: he used soil to find soil, and rivers to find kilns—a uniquely Chinese archaeological science.

To find a city, look for rammed earth; to find a tomb, look for mottled soil; to find a house, look for loess (clay); to find ancient ruins, look for gray soil...

In fact, it is mentioned in the textbooks of various archaeology colleges, but it is scattered and has not yet been summarized into a systematic theory.

Lin Sicheng explained it many times: to his own people, to the local departments, and even more so to Director Sun, Director Wu, and Dean Zhang.

Furthermore, the relevant information has already been submitted to the Archaeological Department and will definitely be issued later, so there's no need to waste time here.

In a flash, Lin Sicheng tapped the microphone: "Since we've brought up Yingqing porcelain, here are a few sets of data that I'd like you all to take a look at!"

"This is the result of our testing, analysis, and testing of more than two thousand samples of Hutian Kiln celadon porcelain..."

As he spoke, he scrolled the mouse, and the screen flashed, revealing three more tables:
Experts took a look: A comparative analysis of Northern Song and Southern Song Dynasty celadon porcelain from Hutian Kiln!
Those who don't understand will be baffled: If you're going to analyze, then analyze; if you're going to do tests, then do tests. Why are you blurring out the details in the report?
Those in the know exchanged glances, unsure of what to say.

Why do you think he censored it?
If he doesn't censor the image, he'll face a lawsuit.

Don't believe me? Look at the watch.

Compared with Northern Song Dynasty Yingqing porcelain, Southern Song Dynasty Yingqing porcelain had a significantly higher silicon content and a significantly lower content of aluminum, iron, titanium, potassium, and sodium, resulting in lower hardness, a thicker body, and a significantly lower firing temperature.

The decrease in the content of rare earth elements such as Rb (rubidium), Sr (strontium), Cs (cesium), and Sc (scandium) and the increase in the content of Zr (zirconium) inevitably leads to a whiter and smoother body, which is the glutinous rice body unique to Jingdezhen porcelain in the Southern Song Dynasty.

However, one thing is certain: this type of porcelain is basically opaque.

Therefore, the data that has been blurred out must be tire thickness, hardness, light transmittance, etc.

To put it simply, if it's neither green nor thin, nor transparent, and it's brittle, then what kind of celadon is it?

To put it more bluntly: Lin Sicheng pushed back the timeline of the technological gap in Hutian Kiln Yingqing porcelain from the early Yuan Dynasty to the early Southern Song Dynasty.

This means that the art of Yingqing porcelain was lost by the end of the Northern Song Dynasty and never made it to the Southern Song Dynasty.

But then again: Jingdezhen has been researching this for over twenty years, surely they know something?

Of course not.

Therefore, if they had known he would research this, Jingdezhen would never have given him the Yingqing porcelain sample. If they had seen the report, they would have certainly made trouble for him.

But these are secondary issues. What the experts find strange is: you are studying the inheritance relationship between Hejin porcelain and Northern Song Yingqing porcelain, so why do you need to prove whether the Southern Song Dynasty inherited the Yingqing porcelain technique?

It seems that the two are not very related?

Just as I was wondering, the screen flashed again, and a new chart appeared.

A comparison of the main body and trace elements of Northern Song Dynasty Yingqing porcelain versus fine white porcelain from Huozhou during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties.

A comparison of the main components and trace elements of fine white porcelain from Hejin during the Song Dynasty versus fine white porcelain from Huozhou during the Jin and Yuan Dynasties.

Huozhou Kiln, where did this come from?
Looking at the data again... wait a minute?

Why are the chemical compositions of these three types of porcelain so similar?
Looking at the hardness, crystallization phase, and light transmittance, the experts immediately understood that these three porcelain-making techniques are related as inheritance and progressive evolution.

However, Huozhou Kiln did not inherit the complete technology and could not reach a sufficient firing temperature, which resulted in an extremely brittle body.

Strictly speaking, this type of porcelain has no relation to celadon porcelain.

But that's not the point. The point is that in these three months, the child discovered not just four, but five kiln sites.

In a flash, Lin Sicheng picked up the microphone: "After surveying the four kiln sites in Hejin, the number of fine white porcelain samples was too small to support systematic analysis and research, and to trace the origins of the techniques. Therefore, we planned to look for kilns with suspected technological inheritance... and then, through the team's unremitting efforts, we finally confirmed it was the Huozhou Kiln..."

"Wait!" Before he could finish speaking, an expert from the Department of Archaeology raised his hand. "How long has this 'unremitting effort' lasted?"

Lin Sicheng paused, pondering for a long time before replying, "Not for very long!"

Otherwise, how can you answer: the team basically didn't contribute anything and just played a supporting role the whole time?

And it didn't take very long...

Fearing he would continue to press, Lin Sicheng quickly changed the subject, scrolling the mouse:
"At this point, we have basically solved the problem of insufficient standard sample quantity, laying a solid foundation for subsequent experimental analysis... and thus, we have determined the proportion and influence of Yingqing porcelain in the Yuan Dynasty official kiln system!"

what's that?
Where did the celadon porcelain come from in the Yuan Dynasty?

As I stood there stunned, the chart on the screen curved again.

Huh, what's this: Northern Song Dynasty Yingqing porcelain VS Yuan Dynasty egg-white glaze main body/trace elements comparison?

Comparison of major and trace elements in Yuan Dynasty egg-white glaze versus Song Dynasty fine white porcelain from Hejin?

Comparison of fine white porcelain from the Jin and Yuan dynasties in Huozhou versus egg-white glaze from the Yuan dynasty in terms of main body and trace elements?

Director Lü's eyes widened, and the two ceramic experts in the back row couldn't help but gasp.

It is clear from these two tables that the techniques of these four types of porcelain—Northern Song Dynasty Yingqing porcelain, Hejin fine white porcelain, Huozhou kiln gold porcelain, Yuan Dynasty fine white porcelain, and Yuan Dynasty egg white glaze—are all inherited and progressively evolved.

Northern Song Dynasty Yingqing porcelain has a low aluminum content and a high silicon and iron content, so it was fired at a lower temperature, resulting in slightly lower hardness and a more bluish color.

The fine white porcelain from the Hexi Corridor has a high aluminum content and a low silicon content, resulting in a higher firing temperature and greater hardness. Secondly, it has a lower iron content, making it whiter. The fine white porcelain from the Huozhou Kiln also has a high aluminum and low silicon content, but the kiln temperature was insufficient, resulting in an extremely brittle body.

The egg-white glaze of the Yuan dynasty also featured high aluminum and low silicon content, but the calcium content, used as a flux, was increased several times over. At the same time, the body thickness was increased, compensating for the shortcomings of the Huozhou kiln.

Strictly speaking, egg-white glaze has nothing to do with the term "shadow blue," but that doesn't change the fact that both types of porcelain use the same firing process...

After watching for a long time, Director Lü turned his gaze from the screen to Lin Sicheng's face.

He finally understood: Why did Lin Sicheng want to confirm that the Yingqing porcelain was lost in the Southern Song Dynasty, rather than the later Yuan Dynasty?

Only by confirming this can he verify the inheritance relationship between the Yuan Dynasty egg-white glaze and the Hejin kiln.

It's easy to understand: since Jingdezhen, located in the same region, had more advanced technology during the same period, it's impossible that the Yuan Dynasty's official kilns would have gone to Shanxi, thousands of miles away, to inherit any technology...

Wow, impressive, Lin Sicheng?

Previously, it was said that the Yuan Dynasty egg white glaze was a new type of porcelain created by the Fuliang Porcelain Bureau (the official kiln of the Yuan Dynasty, located in Fuliang County, Jingdezhen) by drawing inspiration from the white porcelain of the Ding kiln of the Song Dynasty. No one ever thought that it actually originated from the celadon porcelain of the Hutian kiln.

Does it mean we've gone full circle and ended up back in Jingdezhen?
The key lies in the status and influence of egg-white glaze in the Yuan Dynasty:

According to the History of Yuan, the national custom was to venerate white. The Taixi Zongyin Temple (the Yuan Dynasty's official kiln in charge of imperial sacrifices and Tibetan Buddhist temples) ordered the Fuliang Porcelain Bureau (the Yuan Dynasty's official kiln) to fire egg-white glaze for the purpose of the sacrifices.

It is often said that blue and white porcelain was the national porcelain of the Yuan Dynasty, but actually, egg white glaze was.

For this reason alone, even if the previous data hadn't been redacted, Jingdezhen would never have cared: because it added another tribute porcelain system.

With a sigh, Director Lü suddenly paused: It seems that the egg-white glaze of the Yuan Dynasty has also been lost?
But his intuition told him it wasn't that simple. He kept an eye on things and raised his hand: "What happened after that? Did the technique of egg white glaze evolve any further?"

Lin Sicheng nodded: "Yes, Director Lü!"

Before he could finish speaking, the screen flickered again.

Lu Chenglong froze, his eyes widening little by little.

Yuan Dynasty egg-white glaze VS Ming Dynasty sweet white glaze...

VS Ming Dynasty eggshell cup...

VS Chenghua Doucai...

VS Ming Dynasty Dehua white porcelain...

VS Qing Dynasty thin-walled porcelain...

VS Qing Dynasty porcelain enamel painting...

The tables and data included analyses of the body and glaze components, average chemical composition values, scatter plots of major element relationships, and comparisons of major and trace elements.

For a moment, the experts seemed to have gone blind.

How many kinds of famous porcelain are there?
Almost all the Ming Dynasty imperial wares that could be counted were captured, and they all originated from Song Dynasty Yingqing porcelain.
Why was this something that no one knew before, no one thought about, and no one researched before?
The problem stems from inadequate technology, and even more so from a lack of sufficient standard samples.

Therefore, this data is incorrect.

Chemical composition and mean values ​​are relatively easy to determine; most large laboratories can perform these tests. However, the latter two are beyond the capabilities of even a handful of archaeological institutions in China.

Less is secondary.

Elements scatter plots, for example, require systematic X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) analysis: each point or circle on the plot represents a single analysis result. Now, count how many element symbols are there in these dozen or so plots?

Even four or five hundred couldn't be stopped.

Each test of a standard sample, parameter calculation, and standard curve fabrication takes six to eight hours, so at most four sets can be done per day. Does that mean a machine ran non-stop for four or five months?
It's already steaming.

Regarding the cost: Shanghai Silicon Research Institute is the most expensive, at 30,000 yuan per session. Peking University is the least expensive, at 15,000 yuan per session. How much would 500 sessions cost?
Then let's talk about the standard samples: egg white glaze and Dehua white are slightly cheaper, with a small piece costing only tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of yuan, and there are relatively more surviving pieces. If you're lucky, you might even find a broken piece.

But the remaining five types are fewer and fewer than the last, and there has never been any known damage to them.

If you use a complete generator, which one doesn't cost two or three to five million?
Putting all that aside, let's talk about the second point.

Although a lot of data was blurred, everyone present was an expert in this field, and they could tell from the unit "PPm (parts per million)" that this was INAA test data.

Simply put, this is nuclear physics detection technology: it involves irradiating a sample with neutrons, causing the element to undergo a nuclear reaction and generate radioactive nuclides. The elemental content in the sample is then quantitatively analyzed by measuring the half-life, type of radiation, and energy of these radioactive nuclides.

The detection cycle is eight to ten weeks: one week for neutron irradiation, four to six weeks for radioactive decay of the target element, one week for gamma-ray spectrometer measurement, and one week or more for data analysis.

To complete the data in these tables, the required time unit is "years".

But Lin Sicheng made it very clear: it has been exactly four months since the planning and investigation began.

Where did he get this data from?

Was it filled out by hand?
Lin Sicheng knew what the experts were thinking just by looking at their expressions.

Actually, the red text he put on the form had nothing to do with Jingdezhen; it was actually a new technology used in the testing: nuclear technology combined with analysis.

This refers to the combined detection of X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF), neutron activation analysis (NAA), and proton-excited X-ray fluorescence analysis (PIXE).

It doesn't need to take eight weeks; with three machines working together, one week is enough.

These three technologies were introduced early, as early as the 1970s, and domestic institutions are now capable of developing them independently. The first two have been used in combination in cultural relics archaeology and forensic investigations, while the third is still used alone.

However, it will happen soon. The Qin Shihuang Terracotta Warriors Museum and the University of London are collaborating on a research project, and by 2010 they will release a report titled "Non-destructive Testing of Chemical Composition of Ancient Ceramics: Nuclear Technology," which combines XRF, NAA, and PIXE testing.

You can't really drill holes in sweet white glaze, eggshell cups, or even chicken cups, can you?
There was no other way, so Lin Sicheng had to use it ahead of schedule.

To say it's advanced is actually quite average; it's like looking through a thin layer of paper. Those who understand it will grasp it immediately, while those who don't will never even imagine it.

So it's not that we can't talk about it, but it takes too much time: which of these experts present, and the institutions they represent, hasn't had the experience of wanting to smash the machine because the testing speed was too slow?

If he brings it up, he might be taken to the Institute of Cultural Studies or the National Museum of China as a demonstration.

But the data is definitely real, and Director Wu personally witnessed him produce it; there wasn't a single bit of embellishment involved...

That's about it. Lin Sicheng glanced at his watch, picked up the microphone again, and clicked the mouse with his other hand, making the pictures on the screen disappear one by one.

"Inexperienced, they spent more than two hours just analyzing porcelain craftsmanship? The teachers' time is precious, so they won't cover the next topic."

“Any teacher who is interested can obtain the materials from Director Wu; he has materials for both research topics. However, the data on iron artifact technology is only partial; the core data will have to wait until the paper is published…”

Yes, it has been more than two hours, but you have only said a few words?
They've been showing us nothing but pictures...

Wait a minute, what technology are you talking about?
Suddenly, a new title flashed on the screen: Iron Artifact Conservation: BTA Slow-Release Compound System.

Presenter: Center for Cultural Relics Conservation and Restoration, Northwest University.

Ma Qinglin's pupils contracted, and he jumped to his feet...

(End of this chapter)