Recycled Porcelain [Ancient Wears Today]

Opening a furnace and firing a kiln has always been a matter of great investment and little gain.

About 70 kilograms of firewood is burned each time the kiln is fired. This is still a small kiln. If it is a large kiln, more than a hundred kilograms of firewood will be burned.

In today's world, it is easy to get coal, but it is very difficult to get pine firewood for this kind of kiln.

However, pine firewood is necessary for firing high-quality porcelain. Only real firewood will react with the glaze on the surface of the carcass during the burning process, creating exquisite handed down works.

The space inside a kiln is not very large, and the porcelain carcass cannot be in direct contact with the flame, but must be placed in a sagger made of high-temperature-resistant clay material.These saggers are square or round, and the shape and specification are generally determined according to the size of the fired porcelain.

In order to save space, all the porcelains are stacked together and fired in the sagger.The inside of the sagger should also be sprinkled with ashes, and gaskets should be placed on it. On the one hand, it is used to balance the level, and on the other hand, it is also to avoid adhesion.

In a kiln, rows of saggers are neatly arranged. Only those in the center can produce high-quality goods, while those around them depend on luck.Basically, when a batch of porcelain bodies are put in, there is only a [-]% to [-]% yield rate, and if there are more than ten high-quality pieces, it is considered a success.

Master Gao is very generous, and Xu Jiuzhao's masterpiece is placed in the center.

Standing in front of the firewood kiln again, Xu Jiuzhao stood behind Master Gao, looking at the egg-shaped kiln burning with flames.Master Gao pointingly said: "Did you see that man? He is the master of this time, surnamed Shao. The one behind him is his son, and some of the others are his apprentices, and some are apprentices. "

The master of the pile, commonly known as the fire head, is the key figure for the success of the kiln.

After the kiln masters have finished making the porcelain bodies, they are considered to have completed the task.And the kilns count on those people who have mastered the art of playing with fire with great proficiency.

Master Shao looked taciturn, he didn't talk much, and occasionally a few words were just to point out his son who was following behind.

Xu Jiuzhao looked at Master Shao holding a thermometer in his hand to measure the temperature at the crater, and couldn't help but marvel at the advanced technology.

At that time, there was no thermometer anywhere, and an experienced master spit into the fire mouth to judge the temperature by the degree of volatility.

In addition to the sagger with the porcelain body inside the kiln, there is also a row of porcelain body gaskets closest to the burner, which are specially used to observe the combustion of the porcelain body inside, called Zhaozi.

After 12 hours, Master Shao began to draw a picture inside every 2 hours to check the condition of the carcass and glaze to judge the internal condition of the fire.

After 38 hours, the pile master stopped burning the furnace, began to cool down, and waited for natural cooling.

This process is the last thing to be rushed. If the cooling is not good, the glaze will be completely ruined, and a batch of porcelain will be completely useless.

The cooling process is most dependent on the weather. Fortunately, it has been sunny these days. Although it is dry and cold, it is much more powerful than rainy and windy.

In fact, the best time of the year is the three months of July, August and September, when kilns are best fired, and among them, September is the best.Most of the famous porcelain in history were born in the golden September.

However, there is only one September in a year, and the remaining eleven months do nothing?

Of course, they will not do nothing. In normal months, when the weather is good, they will also open kilns to fire porcelain. Of course, most of them will burn some low-end products, or use them for exploration and experimentation.

After all, firing a piece of porcelain requires many failed attempts.The glaze surface, vessel shape, and size are all the experience summed up in daily kiln firing.

And now, Master Gao is telling Xu Jiuzhao this.

From ancient times to the present, the firing techniques of high imitation porcelain have not changed much. Xu Jiuzhao has long been familiar with these things, and even when he hears mistakes and omissions, Xu Jiuzhao wants to correct Master Gao.

Xu Jiuzhao pursed his lips and held back.

Zhang Wenzhao came to stroll a few times, most of them were to ask questions, and he left when he knew the situation was normal.

This time, the antique porcelain is going to be sold in Shanghai, and the antique sellers from Shanghai specially order it.

After waiting for a day, three days and three nights, the kiln door finally opened.

Master Shao and his assistants took out the saggers and placed them in the open space. The two hundred or so saggers looked quite spectacular at first glance.

Feng Zhongbao dangled excitedly, touching Xu Jiuzhao from time to time: "Are you nervous?"

Xu Jiuzhao was helpless, why was he more active than the person involved?

Feng Zhongbao didn't give up until he heard the answer, and looked at Xu Jiuzhao's expression one by one.

"..." Xu Jiuzhao was silent for a while, and could only say, "Nervous."

Feng Zhongbao immediately showed the expression of someone who came over, patted his arm and said: "It's the same. I was also nervous when my first work was put into the firewood kiln. It's a pity that it didn't fire that time and failed. Although I have burnt it many times now, I still feel uneasy because of the success rate."

Xu Jiuzhao put his hands behind his back, raised his chin, and gave him a sideways glance.What is anxiety? !At that time, if he didn't burn well, he would die, and in the worst case, he would even lose his head.

The lightest thing is to deduct salary and be punished.Xu Jiuzhao has practiced a long time ago. To be honest, there is no such pressure, and he is really not nervous at all.Just curious about how this unintentional work will be burned.

The sagger was put out, Master Shao led his assistants and retreated, Master Gao waved his hand, and the kiln masters and kiln workers stepped forward one by one to take out the finished porcelain from the sagger.

"This one is not bad." "This one is not bad." "This glaze is cracked." "It's over, this surface is cracked." "Why is this burnt down? Whose work?!"

The kiln masters and kiln workers obviously like this process very much. It is like opening a lottery ticket, and they may open a high-quality goods in their hands.

Master Gao didn't call him, obviously afraid that he might damage the porcelain.And Xu Jiuzhao also consciously stood aside to tidy up the dismantled saggers, and did not take the initiative to move over.

The kiln master and kiln worker in the center took the initiative to leave it to Master Gao to open it himself. There are also a few high-quality pieces baked this time. Master Gao lowered his head. He was not looking at his own work but looking for Xu Jiuzhao.

He held a forty-centimeter plum vase in his hand and looked at it carefully. This plum vase has a small mouth and short neck, wide shoulders and a thin waist. It has a beautiful shape, smooth lines, and a blue glaze all over.

The floodlight of the glaze is soft and warm, with the characteristics of jade.

Master Gao nodded secretly, this glaze was adjusted by Xu Jiuzhao himself, although it is not azure blue, it is only a little greener than that, not bad.

Look at the gorgeous and complex lotus pattern on the plum vase. The lines are smooth and natural, without any jerky.

Xu Jiuzhao used the half-knife method, and the drawn lines were dark on one side and shallow on the other, saying that the line was actually a shallow slope.This kind of line pattern is glazed and fired. The darker side will become a rich green due to the natural accumulation of the glaze, while the lighter side will be lightly pink due to the reduction of the glaze, which is very distinctive. Three-dimensional decorative effect.

The natural and beautiful pattern on the cyan plum vase, coupled with the smooth lines of the bottle body, makes the obsessive just looking at this shape can't extricate themselves.

"Perfect." Master Gao said with a complicated expression.

"What's perfect? ​​Master Gao, what fine product did you burn out?" Feng Zhongbao leaned over curiously, and was stunned at a glance, "This is, this is?!! Isn't this the plum vase of Xiao Xuzi? It's burnt well pretty!!"

"What what? Who? Who is little Xu Zi?" The startled kiln masters and kiln workers also gathered around, admiring and gossiping.

What is Xiao Xuzi's name?

Xu Jiuzhao, who was standing on the outer circle, had black lines on his face.

This title is generally not welcomed by the little eunuchs who are served by Tao Guan.You must know that since Xu Jiuzhao was killed by the eunuch, let alone hate creatures like eunuchs.

After Feng Zhongbao dutifully gossiped, the people gathered around gave way to Xu Jiuzhao one after another, some were amazed, and naturally some were envious and jealous.

Isn't this the one who fell into the pit, who became Master Gao's apprentice in a blink of an eye, and didn't study for a few months?It is not an exaggeration to say that such high-quality imitation porcelain can be produced as the best among fine products.

What a dog, shit luck.The envious eyes of those who are not high-spirited in the crowd turned red.

Not everyone is as open-minded as the heartless and lazy Feng Zhongbao.

Xu Jiuzhao ignored those kiln masters and kiln workers who were suffering from pink eye disease. He always liked to take the upper-level route, and he would not take the initiative to make friends with those who disliked him.

He's very self-aware, and it's impossible for everyone to like him.In the past at the Imperial Kiln Factory, those who were blocked by him wanted to peel off his skin and drink his blood.He also had to make a flattering look on his face, flattering and flattering.

It's the same here, as long as Zhang Wenzhao, Master Gao, and Feng Zhongbao don't feel bad for him, that's enough.Oh, and Master Shao will be added later.