coobybook Chapter 547 Anticipating the New Porcelain's Debut
Chapter 547 Anticipating the New Porcelain's Debut
The morning light of Qinglongpo shines over the top of the dragon kiln, and the air is filled with the fresh scent of pine needles mixed with soil.
Craftsman Chen had been busy in the glaze mixing area for more than half an hour. In the celadon porcelain basin in front of him were pale white feldspar powder, light gray pine needle ash, and fine kaolin clay as fine as flour. The three powders shimmered with different luster in the morning light, like scattered jade fragments.
He held the ancestral jujube wood spoon and gently turned it, stirring the powder clockwise. Every ten turns, he would stop, pick up a little powder with the spoon, and examine it carefully in the morning light until he was sure the powder was fine and free of particles, before continuing to stir.
"Master Chen, is this recipe based on an old formula from the Southern Song Dynasty?"
Gu Fanxing walked over, holding a yellowed copy of "The Record of Ceramics".
“I flipped through this book last night, and it clearly records the glaze formula of the folk kilns in the Southern Song Dynasty. The ratio of feldspar, pine needle ash and kaolin is about 3:2:5. I also compared it with the composition report of the porcelain shards that I sent for testing before, and it matches this ratio perfectly.”
"That's right! It's this old prescription!"
Craftsman Chen smiled and pointed to a rough pottery jar with a simple wave pattern carved on it.
"However, I also added some clay that is unique to Qinglongpo. You see, the clay here was dug from more than a meter below the soil layer of the kiln site. It has a high aluminum content, which not only makes the glaze color more stable and less prone to cracking during firing, but also gives the glaze an extra layer of warm luster. This is the 'spirit' of Qinglongpo. After adding it, the porcelain fired looks more charming than porcelain from other places."
Pei Luonan walked to the glaze mixing basin, bent down, picked up a little powder, and gently rubbed it in his palm.
"The glaze has just the right amount of fineness, without any grainy texture. After adding water and stirring, it will definitely adhere evenly to the ceramic body without any local accumulation or missed areas."
I spoke with Professor Wang on the phone yesterday. He said that his expert team will bring professional temperature measuring equipment next Monday. This will allow them to precisely control the firing temperature of the porcelain, eliminating the need to rely solely on experience as before. This will significantly improve the success rate and prevent the porcelain from cracking due to improper firing.
Ling Jiu'er then walked over carrying a bamboo tray.
She carefully placed the tray on the wooden table next to the glaze mixing area, gently untied the soft cloth, and revealed the clay blank inside.
They were all made according to the style of porcelain bowls from the Qingning kiln of the Southern Song Dynasty, with round mouths and smooth, rounded edges.
Its small, delicate foot allows it to stand firmly on a table.
The bowl's curves are smooth and natural, its lines as soft as a pool of spring water.
“Master Chen, Xingxing, these are the unglazed pottery blanks that I made yesterday with Aunt Zhang and Uncle Li. There are twenty in total. They are completely dry and ready to be used for glazing.”
She picked up a clay blank, held it out to the craftsman Chen with both hands, her eyes full of anticipation.
“Look at this shape, isn’t it exactly the same as the porcelain bowl found at the kiln site? I made it specifically according to the drawings you made.”
The craftsman Chen took the clay blank with both hands, his fingertips gently brushing against the rim and foot of the bowl, feeling the warm and smooth texture of the clay blank, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
"It's so similar! Especially the curve of the foot ring, it's almost exactly the same as the old porcelain bowl that my father passed down to me."
As he spoke, he took a fine-bristled brush from a wooden box beside him, dipped it in the prepared glaze, and gently brushed it onto the surface of the clay. The brush bristles gently brushed across the surface of the clay, and the glaze adhered evenly to it, without missing a single spot or piling up in any place.
In just a few minutes, the plain white pottery blank was covered with a light layer of celadon glaze. The glaze was warm and soft, like grass moistened by morning dew, shimmering with a faint luster in the morning light.
Gu Fanxing turned on her phone's video recording function and carefully filmed the glazing process of the craftsman Chen. While filming, she whispered to the camera, "Mom and Dad, look, Master Chen is glazing the pottery blank using an ancient method. The glaze is made according to an old recipe from the Southern Song Dynasty, and it also contains clay unique to Qinglongpo. When glazing, he uses a fine brush to gently brush it to ensure that the glaze color is even."
Pei Luonan just inspected the kiln chamber, cleaning out all the dust and even removing the soil from the cracks in the kiln walls. Following Master Chen's advice, he also laid a layer of pine needle ash at the bottom of the kiln. This will ensure a more even temperature during firing, preventing localized overheating or underheating, and reducing the likelihood of the porcelain pieces cracking.
Not long after, Mr. Gu made a video call.
On the screen, he and his mother were sitting in the airport waiting area. The electronic screen behind them clearly displayed the flight information for "Paris-New York", as well as the words "Gate C12" and "Boarding Time 14:30".
"Xingxing, the porcelain glaze in the video is so beautiful, it's exactly the same as the Southern Song Dynasty celadon exhibited in the museum!"
Mr. Gu's voice was full of anticipation, his eyes fixed on the clay blank on the screen.
"When are you going to test the fire? It must be broadcast live. If we have internet on the plane, we can watch the live broadcast in real time."
If there's no internet, remember to record it and send it to us as soon as we land.
"We will test fire next Tuesday. Professor Wang said that the expert team will come on Monday to debug the temperature measuring equipment. We will start the fire early Tuesday morning. It will probably take three days and three nights to fire before it comes out of the kiln."
Gu Fanxing smiled and slowly turned her phone, turning the camera towards the kiln chamber.
Pei Luonan was squatting inside the kiln, holding a soft white cloth in his hand, carefully wiping the dust off the kiln walls, not even missing the crevices in the corners. He even found a small flashlight to illuminate the dark areas, afraid of missing any speck of dust.
"Look, Pei Luonan is cleaning it very carefully. He has been wiping it for almost an hour since this morning, just in case impurities stick to the clay body and affect the glaze."
Mrs. Gu leaned closer to the screen, her eyes filled with satisfaction.
“Luonan is a meticulous and patient young man; it’s rare to see young people like him these days. We feel very reassured working with you. Don’t be too nervous during the trial firing; with him and Master Chen there, we’re sure to succeed.”
After hanging up the phone, Pei Luonan came out of the kiln, his clothes covered in gray kiln dust, but he didn't care at all. He walked to Gu Fanxing's side and helped her brush the pine needles off her shoulders: "Aunt and Uncle are looking forward to the trial firing?"
"Yes, they even specifically told me to do a live stream."
Gu Fanxing helped him brush the dust off his clothes.
Did you find anything when you cleaned the kiln chamber?
"We found a few fragments of celadon in the corner, with the same glaze color as the kiln site. We put them in a sealed bag and are waiting for Professor Wang to come and date them so we can see how well we've restored the craftsmanship."
Pei Luonan handed over a transparent bag containing a fragment the size of a fingernail.
With everyone's help, the glazed pottery blanks were moved into the kiln.
Pei Luonan and craftsman Chen held the clay blank with both hands, their movements steady to prevent the glaze from falling off.
Gu Fanxing took out a notebook to record the location number of each ceramic blank.
Ling Jiu'er took photos from multiple angles using a camera.
The village chief and villagers held up flashlights to illuminate the kiln chamber.
The clay blanks are arranged according to size, with the larger ones placed in the middle layer and the smaller ones in the top layer, leaving even gaps in the middle to allow the fire to circulate.
Standing at the kiln entrance, craftsman Chen sighed, "My father used to lay out the clay blanks like this, and then he would stay by the kiln fire for three days and three nights. If the temperature was too high, he would adjust the ventilation opening, and if it was too low, he would add firewood."
The village chief brought over a basket of boiled corn: "Everyone, have something to eat first. My wife has made some mung bean soup to cool you down."
On the day of the trial firing, the whole village came to help. Some checked the fire temperature, others prepared lunch. Once it's fired successfully, we'll set up a few tables by the kiln and serve the food in new porcelain for the whole village to try!
Gu Fanxing looked at the scene before her—Craftsman Chen was adjusting the angle of the clay, Pei Luonan was helping her peel corn, the village chief was talking to the villagers about the division of labor, and the sunlight was shining on everyone, warm and bright.
She sent photos to her parents: "The clay blanks have all been put into the kiln, and everyone is busy working like a family."
Mom replied: "I'm so proud of you, keep up the good work!"
Gu Fanxing took the corn that Pei Luonan handed her, and took a bite, finding it sweet and refreshing.
She knows that the kiln fire next Tuesday is not only a hope for restoring Southern Song Dynasty celadon, but also a commitment to cultural heritage. This warm expectation will shine forever, just like the kiln fire in Qinglongpo.