BXBX NOVEL Chapter 243 - 243: 117 Prey (Part 1)
Chapter 243 - 243: 117 Prey (Part 1)
Narcissus Basin, as the name suggests, is oval in shape with four symmetrical cloud-shaped feet at the bottom. It is a flower pot from the Song Dynasty. Due to its exquisite quality and the lost firing formula, the Song Ru Kiln Ceramics known today is of immense value.
Mrs. Gu looked at Ming Jing with a hint of disdain in her eyes: “Ms. Zhu, you may not know that nobody at the Jiade Auction House would dare bring in a counterfeit unless they want to die. You’re young and just know a little, so don’t show off in front of Madam Jiang.”
Madam Jiang likes to collect antiques and is considered a connoisseur. Her discerning eye has been nurtured over many years, and it’s not something that a 15- or 16-year-old girl can easily match.
You can see what Madam Jiang couldn’t see?
Apparently, Madam Jiang’s eyesight isn’t that good either, as she values an imprudent embroidered pillow!
Despite being questioned, Ming Jings expression did not show any embarrassment; she remained calm and collected.
On the contrary, Mrs. Gu seemed petty.
Mrs. Gu snorted coldly, wondering how Ming Jing would get out of this.
Madam Jiang didn’t speak; she stared at Ming Jing, waiting for her answer.
Madam Shen looked at Mrs. Gu and laughed: ‘What’s the rush? Miss Zhu hasn’t spoken yet. It’s not like foreign auction houses are all good either. Maybe they think we’re fools with money and don’t know any better, so they intentionally sell us counterfeits to make money.”
The two went back and forth, Mrs. Gu couldn’t argue with Madam Shen, so she turned her head away with a pout.
Ming Jing observed the Narcissus Basin in her hand and said softly: “After the rain has cleared and the clouds have broken, this kind of color is about to come out. During the Northern Song Dynasty Emperor, Song Huizong saw this sky-blue color in his dream, and from then on, Song Ru Kiln became famous around the world!”
Upon hearing Ming Jing’s words, the four people present were all stunned.
Jiang Chunlan’s eyes were filled with joy, and she looked at Ming Jing with admiration.
Madam Shen chuckled: “I told you so, Miss Zhu certainly knows her stuff. Don’t jump to conclusions too soon.”
“The Song Ru Kiln ceramics are known worldwide for their sky-blue color. This piece of Narcissus Basin is covered with sky-blue glaze, evenly distributed. Thin body wall and slightly thicker bottom, the glaze at the bottom edge turns to a pale green due to high-temperature firing, and the glaze on the thinner part of the edge appears pale pink. There are six small nail marks on the bottom, which is a typical feature of the firing of Song Ru Kiln porcelain.”
Ming Jing’s calm voice sounded in the living room. Everyone followed her description and found that it was indeed just as she described.
“So, what’s the problem then?” Mrs. Gu asked defiantly.
Ming Jing lifted the Narcissus Basin, and the sun that had just been obscured by dark clouds suddenly dispersed. A beam of sunlight pierced through the clouds, casting a bright light.
“The reason why the sky-blue color is so precious lies in its rarity and the high requirements for temperature, light, humidity, and firing. It is said that ancient craftsmen would fire sky-blue glazes during the plum rain season. After the rain had cleared, they would open the kiln to take out the porcelain. If it rained too much, the humidity would result in a less translucent color; if it rained too little, there would not be enough humidity, and the color would be too plain and dull. However, the rain is often uncontrollable by nature; craftsmen could only fire day after day, patiently waiting for a rain that may fall at any time, only to meet the sky-blue color in the sky after the rain has cleared upon opening the kiln.”
It was the first time Madam Shen had heard this, she nodded: “Sounds quite romantic. There’s a song about it, isn’t there? Sky-blue color waiting for the misty rain, while I’m waiting for you. That’s how it goes.”
“Ru Royal Kiln’s sky-blue glaze color changes at different light exposures and angles. When viewed in areas with sufficient light, the color appears yellowish-green, just like the golden sunlight that emerges on the clear sky after the rain clears and the clouds disperse. In dim light, the color is bluish-green, akin to the crystal-clear lake water.”
Ming Jing’s gentle, otherworldly voice easily soothed everyone’s impatience. As a patient explainer, everyone listened attentively.
This knowledge is easily accessible online. However, today when Madam Jiang invited her over, she only mentioned that it was for appraisal, not specifically about Song Ru Kiln ceramics. So, it couldn’t have been that she looked up information beforehand. It could only prove that she was very familiar with this knowledge, which is why she could easily share it.
“Southern Song Dynasty writer, Zhou Hui, recorded in his ‘Qing Bo Miscellaneous’ that ‘Ru Kiln was forbidden to be fired in the palace, and it had agate powder as glaze.’ Later generations found one of the formulae of Ru Kiln glaze was indeed made with agate powder, which is why the glaze surface has diagonal slices and unevenly sized bubbles revealing different colors under different reflections of light. However, the specific formulation of the glaze has been lost, and modern researchers have adjusted the glaze ratio but could never reproduce the sky-blue color of the Song Dynasty..”