Chapter 7, A Porcelain Plate

The name of blue and white porcelain may not be known to everyone, but it is undoubtedly renowned and prestigious

What can be forged using old paper is undoubtedly the finest among counterfeits; it is quite remarkable if there are three or four genuine fakes among 99 counterfeit items. More counterfeits, however, rely on various modern techniques to create an appearance of antiquity and age, while the materials used are still new.

Is there no literary spirit within the remnants? He is truly unaware of this point. If there were also literary spirit within the remnants, then purchasing this Ming blue and white porcelain piece could serve as a fine experiment.

However, the center of the base, made from old clay that has been fired, should indeed be the genuine porcelain that has been passed down, having existed for a long time

Certainly, this does not imply that the cultural and artistic expressions of modern individuals are entirely fictitious. Rather, the hints provided by the yellow book indicate that it can only absorb the literary essence contained within antiques and is unable to directly assimilate modern entities. Zhou Ming is unclear about the reasons behind this, yet feels powerless to effect any change.

Steadily advancing, Zhou Ming quickly arrived at the first stall by the street, slightly bending down, and focused his gaze on the stall, which was filled entirely with coins

This is akin to using ancient paper to impersonate the works of famous artists; one must never determine authenticity based solely on the material used

Forget it, let's buy this broken device first and study it in detail at home

However, Zhou Mingluo did not immediately put down the plate; instead, he continued to observe it carefully. The entire plate exhibited strong coloring power, vibrant hues, and stable coloration

During the early Ming Dynasty, the porcelain produced domestically was heavily influenced by the prevailing Yuan style, as the Ming had only recently seized control of the world from the Yuan Dynasty. It was not until the Xuande period of the Ming Dynasty that blue-and-white porcelain completely shed the remnants of the Yuan era, establishing its own unique style and charm

One of the prevalent methods of counterfeiting in today's ancient coin market is the technique of adding characters. This involves using unmarked ancient coins and selecting corresponding ancient coins to imitate based on their size. This method still employs genuine ancient coins, making it nearly impossible to discern authenticity based solely on material.

A few minutes later, when he arrived at a new porcelain stall, he suddenly had a moment of clarity, and his gaze fell upon a porcelain plate that was over twenty centimeters in size

In terms of volume, this Yuan blue-and-white porcelain is the most expensive ceramic in the world, and the highest price for a single piece of craftsmanship is also set by this Yuan blue-and-white porcelain

There are not even high-end counterfeit goods in there

Therefore, in order to select genuine antiques, one must certainly choose to focus on the area in which they are most proficient, which requires rigorous professional knowledge

Therefore, for an ordinary person to find the genuine piece among 100 seemingly identical paintings and calligraphy, it would undoubtedly require an extraordinarily daunting effort, as it is akin to finding a needle in a haystack.

Even if the remnants are genuine antiques, their value is still quite limited

This observation is solely focused on that square base. Under silent scrutiny, the general shape of the base has been clearly discerned by Zhou Ming. However, viewing the shape above solely from this base does not provide a complete picture, much like a complete illustration that has been torn apart; no matter which fragment is held, it remains incomplete.

As Zhou Ming looked closely at the entire stall, he discovered that among the pile of ancient coins, there were indeed some that resembled books in terms of material. At least more than ten of them were of a very old type.

Upon entering the antique market, one is immediately greeted by a wide and well-paved avenue. On both sides of the avenue stand low buildings, none exceeding three stories, adorned with an antique charm. Additionally, in front of the roadside shops, many individuals have set up stalls along the street.

His greatest expertise lies in porcelain, as Fang Shutang is most skilled in the appraisal of porcelain

The entire chassis is characterized by a lightweight body, delicate patterns, and a glaze surface free of orange peel texture, exhibiting a distinct influence from the Yuan Dynasty, and is crafted with exceptional precision. The blue and white porcelain, bearing the legacy of Yuan blue and white, is most likely Ming blue and white.

His expression was calm, while various thoughts raced through Zhou Ming's mind, and he was almost certain that this was Ming Qinghua

On July 12, 2005, a "Guigu Down the Mountain" Yuan blue and white large jar was auctioned in London, England, with a final price equivalent to 230 million RMB, which could purchase 2 tons of gold at the international market price on that day

The old earthen part of that porcelain plate is a square object with approximately equal length and width. Upon a glance, Zhou Ming concluded that this plate was a counterfeit; aside from the square base, all other parts were newly connected porcelain.

Upon thinking of this, Zhou Mingluo felt a stir of excitement, yet he did not act immediately. This was because he was not proficient in ancient coins

Zhou Ming was immediately filled with disappointment. Even though this base had existed for some years, it should have been a relic. No wonder it had been patched together with new porcelain to form a porcelain plate.

One might linger in front of the stalls for a minute or two, or leave after just a few seconds, passing by each booth in turn. Regardless of the type of item, everything here is presented in a way that is quite appealing, making it easy to confuse the genuine with the counterfeit. If an average person were to enter, they would likely become quickly lost in the array of offerings. However, this is not a problem for Zhou Mingluo. Although many modern antique dealers engage in the practice of creating replicas of old items, such cases are ultimately the exception rather than the rule

More than ten old items? This means that these more than ten coins may indeed be relics passed down from ancient times

The bottom of this porcelain plate, including its interior, is covered with a layer of dark, aged soil, while the other parts, apart from the bottom, are made of new porcelain clay, with the two colors being distinctly different

However, for Zhou Mingluo, a mere glance is sufficient to eliminate all newly created counterfeits, allowing him to focus on just three or four targets. Although he still needs to distinguish among the remaining items himself, this is already quite convenient.

This jar has a height of 27.5 centimeters, a circumference of 33 centimeters, and weighs approximately 20 jin.

Only when he reached some stalls displaying porcelain did his walking speed slow down

Ming blue and white porcelain, bearing the legacy of the Yuan Dynasty, should be classified as early Ming blue and white. This can be considered an antique, as it is genuine Ming blue and white porcelain. Unfortunately, it is a fragment; otherwise, it would possess considerable value

However, these were not the reasons that moved Zhou Ming. At this moment, everything on the porcelain plate under his gaze was as transparent as glass. From the outside, the entire plate appeared to be seamlessly connected, resembling a perfect porcelain plate. The issue was that when looking through the surface, the structure of the base and the outer rim was clearly different from that of the internal composition of the porcelain.

Once it is a forgery, even if the material is genuine antique, the cultural and artistic essence contained within it is a counterfeit, and it will certainly lack the scholarly aura, as the scholarly aura originates from the cultural and artistic essence found in antiques

Qinghua, after all, this is blue and white porcelain

The plate is very beautiful, with a diameter of over 10 centimeters at the base, featuring an elegant and dignified shape, graceful and ethereal, with a moderate thickness.

Nevertheless, this still piqued Zhou Mingluo's interest, as it was the first piece of somewhat aged porcelain he discovered after using the Seeking Text Talisman

At this moment, it is approaching noon, yet there is still a constant flow of people in front of the stalls and in various shops, making it quite lively

Just as Zhou Mingluo was about to make a purchase, he suddenly changed his expression and took out the porcelain plate in his hand to examine it again. He suddenly remembered that he had overlooked something; it was possible that the Ming blue-and-white design on the base was not a fragment, but rather a complete piece of Ming blue-and-white.

This period of observation quietly passed once again. When Zhou Mingluo finally took out his phone to check, he realized that nearly ten minutes had gone by, and the time limit for finding the text symbol was also rapidly dwindling

Even though this base is not from the period of the unified empire's dominance, Ming blue and white porcelain remains a significant era in the history of ceramics. Recently, at the Hong Kong Sotheby's Autumn Auction 2011, a Ming Yongle ru-yi shoulder vase with a folded branch floral and fruit pattern was sold for 168 million Hong Kong dollars, setting a new world record for the auction of Ming dynasty porcelain

What is wrong with the remnants? The remnants are simply being acquired at a low price by modern individuals, but do not forget that their past and the *illustrated* books were sought after to find antiques, aiming to discover the cultural essence that the yellowed books can absorb

He slowly crouched down and picked up the disk to examine it

Various characteristics suddenly stirred his heart; this should be blue and white porcelain

A variety of ancient coins, many of which appear rusted and worn, with well-preserved specimens being quite rare. Whether it is the knife coins and halberd coins from the pre-Qin period or the square-holed round coins from after the unification under the Qin dynasty, there is no shortage of them

After some contemplation, Zhou Ming continued on his way. As he passed by various antique stalls featuring furniture, calligraphy, and paintings, he merely glanced at them. Even when he saw antiques made of aged materials, he felt no inclination towards them.

In a short time, as a few minutes passed, Zhou Mingluo hurriedly walked through one-fifth of the street. Although he passed several porcelain stalls along the way, he was frustrated to find that these stalls were so unwilling to invest in counterfeits that the porcelain clay they used was almost entirely new.

The pattern is incomplete

Although it is impossible for every piece of Ming Dynasty porcelain to have such a price, it is still considered a rarity among treasures. Overall, many authentic Ming blue-and-white wares still possess considerable value. Since they are valuable, the Ming blue-and-white plate, when intact, should embody a certain cultural elegance. This item is so valuable precisely because it represents a profound crystallization of cultural and artistic heritage. If it exists in its complete form, then it is not unreasonable to assume that remnants may also retain some of that essence.

Take a simple example: if a genuine piece of calligraphy or painting is buried among 99 fakes, how many of them could be forgeries made with old paper? Most of them would definitely be made with new paper, as old paper, while it can be found, is absolutely not feasible for mass production