Chapter 259 Standing on the Shoulders of the Predecessors
Under a clear blue sky with drifting white clouds, the shadows of the trees outside the car kept receding.
The distance from Jiexiu to Huozhou is about 60 kilometers, and it took just one hour to drive there.
Lin Sicheng had contacted Hao Jun four days ago; he was just calling to confirm.
Hao Jun couldn't have been indifferent to this; the people he arranged arrived in Huozhou much earlier, the day before yesterday, and waited for two whole days.
Just after exiting the national highway, a Land Cruiser parked on the side of the road honked its horn, and then a man and a woman got out.
They were both very young, the man around thirty and the woman around twenty-six or twenty-seven, and they were both very good-looking, and they looked very alike.
Zhao Xiuneng and Shang Yan glanced at each other, both feeling that the two looked familiar. Upon closer inspection, they realized: weren't these the brother and sister who had given the porcelain-painted enamel jade magnolia bonsai as a congratulatory gift when the restoration center opened last winter?
The fathers of these two seem to be friends of Hao Jun; their surname is Chen, and their family owns a mine in Yulin and is extremely wealthy. Furthermore, their father is also a well-known collector in Shaanxi Province…
As he was trying to recall, Zhao Xiuneng suddenly paused.
I remember now: Chen Yangyan, General Manager Chen.
In the case of the tomb robbery of Zhang Anshi, Chen Yangyan was set up by Yu Dahai. If it weren't for Lin Sicheng, President Chen would have been arrested long ago, let alone started mining.
In a flash, the Mercedes pulled up, and Lin Sicheng got out of the car.
"Mr. and Mrs. Chen, I apologize for keeping you waiting!"
"Teacher Lin, you should do it!"
Chen Daoqing quickly grabbed Lin Sicheng's hand and bent down, "It's mid-year summary time, and the mine is having a major safety inspection. My dad really couldn't get away, otherwise he would have come in person."
But when I came, I specifically told him to be sure to apologize to Teacher Lin... and that if I could help him in any way next time, I could just give him a call.
"Mr. Chen, you're too kind..."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lin Sicheng introduced them. They weren't complete strangers, and after a brief greeting, they got into the car one after another.
The kiln site is very close to the county town; it's about six kilometers from the national highway exit.
Chen Daoqing had contacted the county's cultural bureau, cultural relics bureau, and Bailong Town yesterday. A total of five or six leaders were waiting at the village entrance early in the morning.
After getting off the bus, there was another round of pleasantries.
As instructed beforehand, Chen Daoqing only introduced Zhao Xiuneng, saying that he was his father's collector friend and also a porcelain restoration expert from Beijing, who came because he admired the Huozhou Kiln and wanted to visit it.
As for Lin Sicheng, he wasn't even mentioned.
Shang Yan was secretly amazed. Just Chen Daoqing had caused such a big commotion in the local area. What if it was President Chen Yanyang who came?
In a flash, she gave him a wink, and Lin Sicheng nodded slightly.
Yulin has not only coal, but also oil and gas. Shanxi has plenty of coal, but is extremely short of oil and gas because they are used for coking.
Since the two places are so close, besides business dealings, it's inevitable to interact with mine owners like Chen Yanyang. Naturally, he became a guest of honor in the local area.
If it were Chen Yanyang who came, at least one county leader would have come, and they might even have sent someone to greet him at the national highway entrance...
After exchanging pleasantries for a while, a group of leaders led them into the village.
The site is located in the village, with a stone tablet at the village entrance. Apart from the different name of the kiln site, the protected unit and the date of the tablet's erection are exactly the same as the site of the Hongshan Kiln in Jiexiu.
After a brief introduction, a group of leaders surrounded Chen Daoqing and Zhao Xiuneng as they walked up the cement road.
They hadn't gone far when Shang Yan and Zhao Xiuneng both froze in surprise.
On the terrace south of the village stands a kiln shaped like a steamed bun.
The internal structure is still unknown, but judging from the chimney next to it, the two could immediately deduce that the kiln has two smoke chambers and the flue should be at the bottom and be very long.
Otherwise, the chimney wouldn't have been built separately on the outside, nor would it have been so large and tall.
Therefore, it can be concluded that this kiln must have fired high-temperature porcelain.
In a flash, a group of people went up to the platform and arrived at the kiln, where a section chief from the cultural relics bureau gave a presentation:
"In 1970, Mr. Feng Xianming, president of the Chinese Ancient Ceramics Research Association, director of the Chinese Archaeological Society, director of the Ancient Ceramics Research Office of the Palace Museum, and head of the Ceramics Group, came to Huozhou for investigation and made the first discovery of Chencun Kiln."
"Afterwards, Mr. Feng deduced that Chencun Kiln is the same as Huozhou Kiln, which is mentioned repeatedly in ancient documents. His preliminary estimate is that its area should be tens of thousands of square meters..."
Zhao Xiuneng nodded: "Then why wasn't it excavated?"
"First, the expropriation work is very difficult: the kiln sites completely overlap with the villages, and the plots are fragmented and small. Just from the existing door-to-door surveys, there are more than 300 plots registered."
"Secondly, the terrain is complex, making excavation difficult."
Lin Sicheng nodded secretly: Indeed, there are these two factors.
It wasn't until 2021 that the Huozhou Municipal Government included the kiln site in its excavation plan and promoted the establishment of a joint archaeological team, providing policy support and financial guarantees.
Even so, the archaeological team had already clashed with the villagers several times as soon as they entered the village.
Secondly, due to technological limitations, the conditions for archaeological work were not yet mature: it was not until 2022 that the Shanxi Institute of Archaeology, in conjunction with Peking University and Fudan University, and with the support of the State Administration of Cultural Heritage, began its first excavation.
Aside from these two points, the main reason is the lack of key driving factors.
To put it bluntly, the locals are unaware of, and do not realize, the historical role and influence of the Huozhou Kiln.
During the Yuan Dynasty, Huozhou Kiln was the only center for the production of fine white porcelain in the country. At the same time, it was also a tribute kiln for both the Jin and Yuan dynasties.
Therefore, after its excavation was completed in 2023, it was selected as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China that same year…
After the section chief finished his introduction, we asked for a few safety helmets, and then each of us went inside to take a look.
While others merely glanced at the exhibits, Lin Sicheng spent a full half hour observing it.
From the firebox, to the kiln chamber, to the flue, and then to the kiln house.
Even though he had expected it, Lin Sicheng was still relieved: although it was from the late Ming Dynasty and the structure had changed, he was very certain that this kiln was in the same lineage as the Song Dynasty kiln in Guzhen, Hejin.
After watching the show, it was already past 5 p.m., and the county hotel arranged a dinner.
Using the excuse that he had to go to other places for inspection the next day, he didn't drink much. The banquet ended at around eight o'clock.
It wasn't very dark yet when Lin Sicheng gathered everyone in Chen Daoqing's suite.
Upon entering, Zhao Xiuneng and Shang Yan were stunned for a moment: so many boxes.
Big and small, square and long, they filled the living room.
"These items were collected by the county's cultural department from the Chencun site over the years. Some were picked up directly from the site, while others were voluntarily handed over by villagers."
These two boxes of white porcelain were collected from the villagers of Chen Village by the Cultural Relics Bureau and the town government over the past few days with compensation. Thank you, Mr. Chen!
"Teacher Lin, you're too kind!" Chen Daoqing smiled modestly. "The town leaders said that because of the short notice, many villagers are unaware of the news, so this is all they have received for now."
It's hard to say how many complete pieces there are, but there are definitely still porcelain fragments. If more are needed later, they will collect more..."
"Definitely, and the more the better, thank you Mr. Chen!"
After saying thank you, Lin Sicheng opened the box one box after another.
Zhao Xiuneng and Shang Yan moved forward, but at first, neither of them paid any attention.
Because the first few bites were all made of coarse white porcelain.
The body is thick and heavy, and the clay is relatively hard. Black impurities and spots are visible everywhere, which shows that the clay was not washed properly.
The slip was applied, but it was thin and uneven, resulting in colors that were either yellowish or bluish. The quality and appearance were slightly better than the Jiexiu kiln I saw at noon, but only marginally better.
After examining it closely, Zhao Xiuneng picked up a piece of the bottom of the bowl: "The patina is not thick, and the oxidation is relatively shallow. It looks like it's from the mid-to-late Ming Dynasty?"
Lin Sicheng gave a thumbs up: When it comes to appreciating porcelain, Senior Brother Zhao's skills are quite profound.
Then, he opened two more mouthfuls, and Zhao Xiuneng squinted his eyes: black flowers painted on a white background, with ochre and red colors painted on them?
Let's look at the last two pieces: white porcelain with pearl-like patterns?
If they were still Ming dynasty porcelain, that wouldn't be surprising; any decent folk kiln could produce them. But judging from the degree of oxidation on these two pieces, they are most likely from the Jin or Yuan dynasty.
As far as Zhao Xiu knew, only the Ding kiln had previously produced white porcelain with pearl-like carved designs from the Jin dynasty. Now, another kiln, the Hejin kiln, had added this to the list.
As for the Yuan Dynasty, this thing was never burned at all. There were no previous discoveries until Lin Sicheng surveyed the ancient dugout site.
The key point is that, in terms of decoration, carving, and painting, these two pieces are very similar to the porcelain shards found in Yongji Ancient City.
Just as he was about to ask, Lin Sicheng took another sip. With just one glance, Zhao Xiuneng's eyes bulged outwards:
Thick, rounded lip, sloping straight walls, deep belly, glaze accumulation at the bottom... Isn't this a jade-bottom bowl?
Especially the intact one, in terms of shape, material, and color, is no different from the bowl that Mr. Shui had.
It's just that the one belonging to the chief engineer was burned, while the one in the box was ruined.
Surprised and doubtful, Lin Sicheng continued to open the box, and Zhao Xiuneng followed suit, his eyes widening in astonishment.
What are these? Egg white jade?
White-glazed covered bowl, white-glazed Yuhuchun teapot, white-glazed cup with handle, white-glazed deep-bellied bowl, white-glazed shallow plate with carved decoration...
Especially the last two pieces, which are just broken bowls and shallow plates with only the base remaining, are almost indistinguishable from the white jade bowl that Lin Sicheng bought in Yongji for 800,000 yuan.
Same body, same base, same glaze color, even the same thickness... At least Zhao Xiu couldn't tell the difference.
Let's look at it from the beginning: the body is white and firm, the glaze is thin and glossy, and the glaze color is clean and bright... Aren't these pieces egg white jade?
Hmm, no... the era is wrong.
At first glance, they look very new, but this is because the burial environment was oxygen-deficient, resulting in a low degree of aging. Having spent his entire life accumulating artifacts, Zhao Xiuneng could at least confidently assert that these items were either from the Jin Dynasty or the Yuan Dynasty.
It's easier to say about the Jin Dynasty. If you insist on it, it's not impossible that it was transported from the Southern Song Dynasty.
But where did fine white porcelain come from in the Yuan Dynasty?
If you ignore the official kiln blue and white porcelain from the Yuan dynasty, the body of the porcelain is almost as thick as your palm...
Zhao Xiuneng's heart skipped a beat, and he abruptly raised his head.
Shang Yan was even more exaggerated than him, staring wide-eyed and mouth agape at Lin Sicheng, as if frozen in place.
No wonder Lin Sicheng wasn't flustered at all when he surveyed the Guzhen kiln site and found that there were very few experimental samples.
No wonder he clearly anticipated that the relevant authorities would discard him after the fact, yet he allowed Professor Wang to go along with it and terminate the cooperation agreement.
And in the car, Lin Sicheng said with a smile: "Don't be angry, you'll get your revenge soon..."
Looking back now: he already knew there were enough experimental samples here.
But that's secondary. The key is these fine white porcelains in front of us, which show that Shanxi not only fired egg white jade in the Song Dynasty, but also in the Jin and Yuan Dynasties.
Doesn't this mean that history has been rewritten by Lin Sicheng once again?
"It's not that exaggerated! Strictly speaking, these are not egg white jade, but rather imitations made with outdated techniques, like Bei Wuqin's celadon and Shang Bamu's yellow-white porcelain..."
As he spoke, Lin Sicheng flicked his finger, producing a crisp "clang" followed by a "snap".
Upon closer inspection, the once mostly intact Yuhuchun teapot had been shattered into seven or eight pieces by Lin Sicheng's flick of his finger.
The two were stunned: "How can it be so brittle?"
"The clay composition of Huozhou fine white porcelain is exactly the same as that of Hejin fine white porcelain: high-alumina, low-calcium clay with an aluminum content of over 38%, and an extremely high firing temperature, requiring temperatures above 1,300 degrees Celsius, to ensure complete sintering of the porcelain body."
"However, by the Jin Dynasty, due to the loss of coking technology, only coal could be used for burning, and the kiln temperature was at most 1200 degrees Celsius. Secondly, the lack of trace element fluxes such as calcium resulted in a large number of unmelted aluminum crystal particles remaining in the conductor matrix, forming a loose structure..."
Furthermore, Huozhou kiln's fine white porcelain, adhering to the craftsmanship of eggshell-white jade, pursues a visual effect of "thin as a cicada's wing." The thin body is typically 1mm or less, lacking the physical support to resist bending. While it appears perfectly intact on the surface, internal stress cracks invisible to the naked eye already exist, making it prone to cracking with a slight bounce…
Lin Sicheng patiently explained, while Zhao Xiuneng and Shang Yan remained silent, their four eyes darting around.
Without asking, the two of them were probably thinking: "We've never been here, let alone studied it, so how do you know so much?"
"It is written in the book, 'Gegu Yaolun' (Ming Dynasty): Huo ware is extremely brittle and can be broken by striking it! There is also a related record in 'Bowu Yaolan' (Ming Dynasty)."
"In addition, there are more records in modern works: Chen Wanli (a scholar of ancient Chinese ceramics and a researcher at the Palace Museum) wrote, "Report on the Investigation of Ancient Kiln Sites in Pingyuan, Hebei and Shanxi Provinces", and "Xing and Ding Kilns and Northern Kilns".
There is also Sun Yingzhou (a scholar of ancient Chinese ceramics and a researcher at the Palace Museum), who wrote "On the Nine Kilns of Northern China" (1965).
In addition, Feng Xianming's works include "A History of Chinese Ceramics: Song Dynasty Porcelain" (1975), "Porcelain of the Song, Yuan and Qing Dynasties" (1968), and "The Six Kilns of the Jin and Yuan Dynasties" (1963), among others.
In particular, Mr. Feng Xianming's book, *Shanxi Volume* (An Investigation of Porcelain Kilns), explicitly mentions that the Chencun Kiln in Huozhou was founded at the end of the Northern Song Dynasty. Initially, it appears they used a method of firing porcelain by burning clay, but the technique was later lost, and coal firing was adopted. Due to insufficient kiln temperature, the porcelain became extremely brittle…
With each book Lin Sicheng read, their eyes widened a little more. After listening to the best of both worlds, they had nothing to say except stare blankly.
It's important to know that these are all large, specialized research works, each easily exceeding one or even several hundred thousand words. For example, "A History of Chinese Ceramics" is a whopping 1.1 million words.
It's impossible for Lin Sicheng to have memorized the whole thing.
It's impossible to memorize everything, but he has indeed learned it, so he will definitely be able to recall it when needed.
Lin Sicheng could even recall the exact day.
I remember it was summer, and he was repairing a blue-and-white porcelain jar on the west wall of the Forbidden City when Old Mrs. Wang entered with her hands behind her back. Behind her were two assistants, each carrying a thick stack of books.
With a "thump," two stacks of books were placed in front of Lin Sicheng, and the old lady leaned back in her recliner.
"These are the results of the three teachers' investigations of ancient kiln sites across the country. They read through local chronicles nationwide and traveled to more than 20 provinces, over 300 counties and cities, and more than 1,400 ancient kiln sites. These systematic treatises are the product of their lifetime research. Study hard, and ask questions if you don't understand..."
Lin Sicheng's eyes widened at the sight of the table full of treatises: "There must be tens of millions of words here!"
Before he could speak, the old lady deftly rolled up a book and tapped him on the head: "The three teachers traveled all over the country, devoting their entire lives to it, without ever feeling bitter."
"Grandma, I followed those three teachers up mountains and down rivers, wearing out hundreds of pairs of shoes, but I never felt it was hard. Now you're here, with air conditioning, good tea, and books to read, and you feel it's hard?"
"It's not hard, it's not hard!" Lin Sicheng quickly said with a smile. "I'm just afraid I won't learn it well!"
"Learn as much as you can, just start learning first!"
The old lady spoke slowly and deliberately, "No matter how high your achievements are in optical appraisal, you'll just be a wealthy commoner. No matter how good you are in restoration, you'll only be at the level of a craftsman. If you stay in the Palace Museum, the best you can do is become an associate researcher."
"But archaeology is different: protecting cultural heritage, constructing national history, boosting cultural confidence, preserving the flame of civilization, and reshaping national spirit... The former two are merely craftsmen, while the latter is a master. Which would you choose?"
"Lin Sicheng, you are so talented, you must not be impatient. You must choose the right path, calm down, and be patient... Given time, you may very well reach Mr. Feng's level."
Feng Xianming, a pioneer and leading scholar in the study of ancient Chinese ceramics?
Hehe... Old lady, you really think highly of me?
Just as she pouted, she received another tap on the head: "You're spineless, are you going to learn or not?"
Lin Sicheng nodded obediently: "I'll learn!"
He studied for four years. He wouldn't say he knows all the ancient kiln sites in the country by heart, but he has an impression of everything he has studied.
For example, the Jiexiu Kiln and the Huozhou Kiln.
In 1970, Mr. Feng Xianming visited Shanxi Province and made his first discovery of the Chencun Kiln. Subsequent preliminary research indicated that the Chencun Kiln in Bailong Town was the same as the Peng Kiln and Huo Kiln mentioned multiple times in historical records.
The "Essential Treatise on Appraising Antiques" (written by Cao Zhao in the early Ming Dynasty) states: Peng Junbao, a goldsmith of the Yuan Dynasty, imitated the ancient Ding ware, hence the name Peng Kiln... The clay is fine and white, similar to Ding ware...
Feng Xianming's note: The two are very different.
Ding ware used high-silica clay, while Huo ware used high-alumina, low-calcium clay. The former has an ivory-white glaze with a yellowish tinge, while the latter is pure white like snow, occasionally turning from yellowish-white to bluish-white.
High in aluminum and low in calcium, with a pure white glaze, occasionally yellowish-white, or turning bluish-white... Look, doesn't it look very similar to the fine white porcelain from Guzhen Kiln?
"Essentials of Natural History" (Ming Dynasty, Gu Yingtai): During the Yuan Dynasty, Peng Junbao established a kiln in Huozhou, named Peng Kiln, also known as Huo Kiln. The body was fine and smooth, the glaze was lustrous, the thinnest pieces were like unglazed clay, as transparent as cicada wings, and could be broken with a flick.
Note by Feng Xianming: Huo kiln white porcelain has an excessively high aluminum content, and due to insufficient kiln temperature, it is brittle.
Note: When Huo Kiln was first established, it had a single, fan-shaped firebox in a pit-like structure with two smoke chambers and an extremely long flue. The fuel was suspected to be coking coal.
It's a pit-like structure with two smoke chambers, and the fuel is coking coal... Look, isn't it exactly the same as the Tang Dynasty kiln discovered by Bei Wuqin?
In addition, Mr. Feng also mentioned that the firing process and glaze formation of Huozhou white porcelain are extremely similar to those of Dehua white porcelain, Yongle sweet white glaze, Ming dynasty eggshell cups, and Chenghua doucai porcelain.
Furthermore, it is speculated that the egg-shaped cup, created by Hao Shijiu, a porcelain master in Jingdezhen during the late Ming Dynasty, was inspired by the bodiless porcelain of Huozhou.
How influential was the Huozhou Kiln?
During the Yuan Dynasty, it was the only kiln in China that produced fine white porcelain, without exception.
Moreover, it was a tribute porcelain of the Jin and Yuan dynasties and is collected in major museums. It is mistakenly believed to be a rare piece from other kilns, and is dozens of times more valuable than Hejin porcelain.
Therefore, after its excavation in 2023, it was selected as one of the top ten archaeological discoveries in China that year.
Subsequent systematic research revealed that, contrary to ancient records, the Huo kiln was not founded in the Yuan Dynasty, but rather in the late Song Dynasty. It flourished in the Jin Dynasty, reached its peak in the Yuan Dynasty, and declined in the late Ming Dynasty.
Coincidentally, by the late Song and early Jin dynasties, the fine white porcelain technique of Hejin was lost, and black porcelain was instead fired. Lin Sicheng deduced from this that the conclusion made by the State Administration of Cultural Heritage after excavating the Jiexiu kiln in the 1980s was wrong: the firing technique of Huozhou kiln did not originate from Jiexiu kiln, but from Hejin kiln.
To verify this, he first went to Jiexiu to specifically examine Jiexiu white porcelain. The result was as expected: Huozhou white porcelain and Jiexiu white porcelain are essentially related.
Therefore, when five kiln sites were found in Hejin, but the samples of egg white jade were pitifully few, Lin Sicheng was surprisingly generous: the jade was divided equally among the six families.
Because he knew very well that there were plenty of experimental samples...
Therefore, when Lin Sicheng received the white-glazed bowl in Yongji, he knew that there must be a kiln producing egg-white jade in Hejin. If they couldn't find it in the end, then they would try to excavate the Huozhou kiln.
Fortunately, hard work pays off.
He doesn't have X-ray vision, but by simply scanning the top of Beiwuqin Mountain, he can tell the structure of the kiln buried several meters underground, and he can draw it out with perfect accuracy.
It's just because Mr. Feng's book clearly describes it: a pit-style structure with two smoke chambers and a long flue.
In 2023, after the excavation of the Huozhou Kiln site for fine white porcelain, it turned out exactly as Mr. Feng had predicted:
Look, isn't it a pit-like structure with two smoke chambers and an extremely long flue?
So from beginning to end, Lin Sicheng never thought he was any great or amazing.
He was well aware that he was merely standing on the shoulders of his predecessors.
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