Chapter 2, Painted Vase (1)
Oh? Yan Shen Town? Is it the Yan Shen Town of Qingzhou Prefecture?" Lin Mufeng's eyes suddenly lit up.
Lin Mufeng was extremely excited, laughing to himself, "The history of porcelain and glass is about to be rewritten"
Is the porcelain manufacturing technique of the Ming Dynasty's folk kilns still so rudimentary? It can't be true. Lin Mufeng sighed, feeling somewhat disappointed.
Glaze is an ancient material, with its earliest production traceable to before the Han and Tang dynasties. It is regarded as the foremost among China's five renowned artifacts (gold and silver, jade and emerald, glaze, ceramics, and bronze) and one of the seven treasures in Buddhism. By the Ming dynasty, its techniques had largely been lost, existing only in legends and supernatural novels, such as the character Sha Seng in "Journey to the West," who was banished from the heavenly court for breaking a glaze lamp. According to historical records, the revival of glaze craftsmanship occurred in the early Qing dynasty, while large-scale production did not take shape until the mid-Qing dynasty, during which the technique of inner painting was also invented by artisans. Now, in the early Ming period, this indicates that both glaze and inner painting remain in a state of "blank slate," presenting him with tremendous opportunities.
After more than an hour, two sturdy clay bodies were formed. Lin Mufeng stretched his body and took a short rest, then instructed Old Meng and the others to start turning the potter's wheel. Meanwhile, he picked up a carving knife and carefully began to shave the surface of the clay bodies, refining some edges and corners.
Indeed, old steward, what is the young master up to? Old Meng rubbed his eyes and stood there in a daze. He had mentally prepared himself to be scolded by Lin Mufeng, or even to be thrown out. Unexpectedly, today the young master of the Lin family was so amiable, completely devoid of his usual arrogance and domineering demeanor
The young master has fallen ill with amnesia and remembers nothing at all" Old Lin sighed once more
As a craftsman who spends all day dealing with porcelain and glassware, particularly renowned for his skill in inner painting both domestically and internationally, Lin Mufeng unexpectedly traversed time and space to arrive in the Ming Dynasty's porcelain production hub, Yanshen. Moreover, he possessed a family-owned porcelain kiln—upon this thought, Lin Mufeng could not help but feel a surge of excitement.
Old Meng cast a puzzled glance at Lin Mufeng, thinking to himself: "When did this young master of the Lin family come to understand these things? From the looks of him, he speaks as if he knows it all." The confusion in his heart remained unspoken, and he could only nod in agreement.
... ...
"Young master, what did you say?" Old Lin leaned forward, asking in confusion.
Lin Mufeng did not pay any further attention to them, his gaze fixed on the already damaged painted vase. After just a glance, he couldn't help but frown; not only was the shape too rigid, but the body of the vase was also not full, with proportions clearly uncoordinated, making the overall appearance devoid of any aesthetic appeal. Moreover, the glaze was dull and cracked, and the painting technique was quite rough.
Oh, it's alright. Let me ask you, Old Meng, have you found the cause of the glaze cracking?
Old Meng responded and instructed a craftsman to bring over a handful of wet mud. Lin Mufeng picked up a bit with his fingers, rubbed it in his palm, shook his head, and said, "Old Meng, this mud is soft but not greasy, it has too much elasticity and insufficient toughness, it won't do, it needs to be reconstituted."
The craftsmen exchanged glances, their faces displaying an expression of disbelief. Lin Mufeng had always been condescending towards them, never bothering to look them in the eye, yet today he was so amiable, showing no signs of arrogance; it was truly strange!
With ceramic craftsmanship knowledge that is centuries ahead of this era, especially possessing the extraordinary skill of inner painting on glass, at least the future livelihood issues need not be a concern
"It doesn't matter, I will handle the cart. You all assist me." Lin Mufeng bent down and threw the lump of mud onto the center of the cart's turntable, instructing Old Meng and a craftsman to work together to push the cart.
"No, it's nothing." Lin Mufeng composed himself, smiled faintly, "It's Lao Meng, right? Don't panic for now, take me to the kiln to have a look."
The mud is ready. Looking at the large wheelbarrow specially made by Lao Meng and the others for this three-foot painted hollow vase, Lin Mufeng sighed; it was indeed too rudimentary. There was no choice, given the constraints of reality and the limited time, they could only make do for now
The porcelain kiln is enclosed by earthen walls, and inside, there are piles of clay bodies, molds, and semi-finished porcelain items everywhere. In the center of the courtyard, several craftsmen are staring blankly at a hollow, intricately painted vase that stands over one meter tall.
In the southeastern corner of Yanshen Town, Xiye Fang gathers more than ninety percent of the folk kilns in the town. Among these dozens of kilns, the Lin family's porcelain kiln is the largest in terms of both production scale and number of workers. It has been in operation since the grandfather of Lin Mufeng and has been passed down through three generations.
Yanshen Town, which may not be well-known to the general public, is a name that has long been familiar to Lin Mufeng. Despite its unassuming name, Yanshen Town is a significant hub in the history of Chinese porcelain and glass development. Especially after the Ming Dynasty, the reputation of Yanshen Town's porcelain and glass grew immensely, rivaling that of Jingdezhen in Jiangxi, earning it the title of the Northern Capital of Porcelain and establishing it as one of the origins of modern glass craftsmanship
Old Meng, along with several craftsmen, began to reformulate the mud under the on-site direction of Lin Mufeng. The mixture consisted of 6 parts porcelain clay, 2 parts quartz sand, and 2 parts clay, which were sifted to remove larger particles. The mixture was then finely ground using a water mill, washed to eliminate impurities, and after settling, formed into elongated blocks of mud. Subsequently, water was added to the mud blocks to remove any residual debris, and the mixture was continuously kneaded by hand or stomped with feet to expel air from the clay and ensure even distribution of moisture within the mud.
Lin Mufeng rolled up his sleeves, preparing to personally take on the task of shaping the clay. Old Meng, seeing this, became anxious and said, "Young Master, these rough tasks are best left to us."
"The young master has arrived, quickly pay your respects to the young master," Old Meng commanded.
Young Master! The craftsmen all greeted him respectfully. Lin Mufeng smiled slightly and waved his hand, saying, "Everyone, please do not be so formal, haha."
I just don't understand, young master. The raw materials are processed according to the recipe passed down from our ancestors, and the temperature and timing of the firing are controlled to perfection. Yet, for some reason, the glaze always cracks. Old Meng scratched his head and said, "Young master, we truly have no solution."
Seeing Lin Mufeng's disappointed expression, Old Meng felt ashamed and said from the side: "Young Master, in the past we have only made small utensils like bowls and dishes. This is the first time we are firing such large pieces. The difficulty of shaping, painting, and carving is too great, so..."
Old Lin sighed, "Young Master, you have even forgotten this. Alas! Our Lin family owns the largest porcelain kiln in Yan Shen Town. The tenth day of September is the birthday of Prince Qi, and the county magistrate has ordered us to produce a pair of three-foot tall hollow-painted large vases as a tribute to the prince. However, we have never made such large items before, and our repeated attempts have all ended in failure. The deadline for delivery is approaching, but..."
Lin Mufeng stepped forward and gently tapped the body of the vase; the sound was deep and muffled. Based on his experience, the reason for the glaze cracking during the firing process was likely due to the clay encountering high temperatures, resulting in a certain degree of mutual repulsion during the process of fusion and solidification. He turned around and asked, "Old Meng, could you bring me a bit of the clay you use for shaping?"
The spinning wheel whirled, pulling, tugging, stretching, softening, and wiping... At first, Lin Mufeng's movements were somewhat stiff, but as time went on, he became increasingly skilled and adept, leaving the nearby craftsmen dumbfounded. My goodness, is this really the young master of the Lin family?