Reborn Treasure Appraiser: I Really Didn’t Want to Be an Expert

Chapter 115 Five-beam Golden Silk Prince Consort Crown (Monthly Ticket Plus 55)

"How did he combine these techniques?"

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and said, "I guess it's a thin layer (Tang gold mud) and then a thick layer (Ming gold mud)! The thin layer is baked over charcoal fire (Tang method), and the thick layer is precisely temperature-controlled (Ming method)..."

Wang Qizhi certainly understood the principle, but he just didn't quite understand: "What's the point?"

Lin Sicheng said succinctly: "Simulation!"

After a little thought, Wang Qizhi suddenly realized: From the Tang Dynasty to the present, more than a thousand years have passed. With the passage of time, gold molecules have blended with each other, mercury molecules have slowly lost, the gaps in the middle of the gilded layer will gradually shrink, and the gold layer will naturally become more and more compact.

However, the genuine product has not yet reached the point where the gaps have completely disappeared. Even when observed under a high-power microscope, the stratification boundaries can still be seen.

Therefore, in order to imitate as realistically as possible, imitations use this epoch-making gilding technique: the gilding layer must be firm and leave traces.

Wang Qizhi pondered secretly, then glanced at the price on the label, his eyes slightly stagnant: One hundred and fifty thousand? And it clearly stated: imitation.

But don't doubt it, if someone really buys it, it's definitely not because they are crazy.

Buy it and bury it in a pit, or use other methods to ferment it for two or three years, then dig it out and sell it as fresh goods.

Asking you for three million is too low. Even if you find out you've been cheated, you wouldn't dare to sue...

Wang Qizhi examined it carefully and said, "How about we build a replica as well?"

"I can certainly imitate it," Lin Sicheng said hesitantly, "but teacher, where should I put it?"

Wang Qizhi was stunned.

He certainly didn't do it for the money: it would take too long, and to imitate a bottle like this would take at least years.

In a year, he repaired a few more bronze pieces and Lin Sicheng repaired a few more porcelain pieces, and they earned back the 100,000 and 150,000 yuan.

Wang Qizhi just felt a little itchy.

But to put it bluntly, this thing is just a bronze tomb chamber, and I really don't know where to put it.

"That's it!"

Wang Qizhi looked around again and pointed at a pearl crown. "Hey, this should be a phoenix crown, but the shape looks a bit strange."

Lin Sicheng took a look and said, "It's a bit strange indeed. It looks a bit like... a phoenix crown worn by female officials during the Tang Dynasty?"

"Isn't that possible?" Wang Qizhi skepticized, a rare occurrence. "I can understand hairpins adorned with precious beads and phoenix wings, but a golden-threaded headdress? I don't recall."

Lin Sicheng thought for a moment and said, "It's probably a replica."

"I know it's a replica!" Wang Qizhi tried hard to recall, "but which one?"

“Imitation…”

Lin Sicheng responded subconsciously, but just after uttering two words, he was suddenly stunned: Yes, which one is it imitating?
The five beads on the forehead indicate this type of crown was designed for high-ranking female officials, a practice unique to the Tang Dynasty and reserved for the reigns of Wu Zetian and Emperor Xuanzong. Only the emperor, empress, or a female attendant to the crown prince, such as the renowned Shangguan Wan'er, were eligible to wear it.

Therefore, few were made at that time, and no physical objects have been passed down.

There are relevant documents and drawings, but only one:
It is engraved on the wall of the coffin (the coffin outside the coffin) of Li Chongrun, the grandson of Wu Zetian, the son of Emperor Zhongzong of Tang, Li Dan, and the Prince Yide.

It was discovered to have been stolen in 1970. After a rescue excavation, all the cultural relics except the immovable ones were sent to the Shaanxi Museum.

Afterwards, the Shaanxi Museum, the National Museum, and the Palace Museum jointly restored the coffin, and the two female officials on the coffin wall looked roughly like this:

Therefore, except for the different colors of the five beads on the forehead, this crown is basically the same as the two in the picture in terms of size, shape, decoration, pearl beam, and even the phoenix-wing hairpin.

The problem is that only the image, not the crown, was restored. It wasn't until 2022 that the restored image was released.

Therefore, Wang Qizhi had no impression at all.

But the question arises again: How was this gold wire crown imitated?

Suddenly, Lin Sicheng came to an inference: this crown was definitely imitated by a researcher from the Shaanxi Museum, or at least it was composed and designed by him.

It was precisely because he participated in the restoration research of "The Coffin of Prince Yide and the Palace Maids" that he was able to imitate this crown to such an extent.

Looking at the bronze pagoda next to it, as well as the gold bracelet and agate cup seen yesterday, the answer is obvious: if you remove the word after "at least", it is 99% certain that this crown was imitated by a researcher from the Shaanxi Museum.

The crown is mainly made of filigree inlay, then wired with copper-silver alloy, plated with gold, and finally woven into a mesh structure.

The crown's surface is carved with pointed chisels to depict phoenixes and intertwined floral designs. The phoenix wings are inlaid with gold foil, while the floral designs are outlined with finer gold wire, then accented with cinnabar, azurite, and pearls, creating a dazzling effect.

Not only is it exquisite, but everything is done according to ancient methods: gilding for the frame, blasting beads for decoration, hammering for the shape, and line engraving for the pattern.

They use silver-copper alloy wire, but as long as it is mixed with a little gold, people will believe it if they say it was dug out from the tomb of a Tang Dynasty prince.

After watching for a long time, Lin Sicheng exhaled: "Master!"

More than just a master?
Wang Qizhi nodded fiercely: "A master among masters!"

He even had the urge to buy it and study it carefully.

The longer you watch, the stronger it becomes.

Look at the price again: 96,000... isn't it expensive?
But the disciple knows the teacher best. He just raised his hand and was about to call the clerk, but Lin Sicheng grabbed his hand and said, "Teacher, what are you doing?"

Wang Qizhi said as if it was a matter of course: "Of course I will buy it!"

No...why buy it?
"If we study it, we can imitate it."

"Of course!" Wang Qizhi nodded. "The problem is, the art of gold bead welding (explosive bead gilding) has long been lost. How can we imitate it? You can't possibly do it yourself, right?"

Lin Sicheng paused and kept his mouth shut like a mute gourd.

Of course he will.

In 2019, the tomb of Emperor Qianling of the Tang Dynasty was robbed. The Shaanxi Museum and the Shaanxi Institute of Archaeology carried out a rescue excavation. Then, based on the murals and documents in the tomb, they restored the blasting + welding technology through simulation experiments.

But that was already 2020, so even if Lin Sicheng knew it, he wouldn't talk about it. He was just curious: How did this person master a technology that was only restored after more than ten years?

Just as he was changing his mind, Wang Qizhi sighed again: "Besides, it's probably not easy to meet such a person!"

That's for sure, after all, it's private work.

Even if you know that he copied it, he probably won't admit it.

So Wang Qizhi thought of buying one first as a stepping stone.

"Don't worry, let's wait and see. What if there's something better and more affordable?"

Wang Qizhi thought about it and said, "That's right!"

The teacher and student started searching again, but after taking a few steps, Wang Qizhi stopped, turned around, and stared at Lin Sicheng blankly.

After taking a look, Lin Sicheng didn't know what to say: A national first-class cultural relic, a gold and silver flat mirror with Tang Siluan holding a ribbon pattern.

The gold one is gold foil, the gray one is silver foil, and the black one is lacquer.

This one is of course a replica, the real one is in the Provincial Museum.

What surprised the two was the craftsmanship of making bronze mirrors: foil making, engraving, gilding, lacquering, and polishing.

To put it simply: after the gold and silver foil decorations are affixed, at least three to five coats of lacquer should be applied to form a lacquer layer more than five millimeters thick, and then polished after drying in the shade.

Until the gold and silver patterns are flush with the paint surface, the surface is as smooth as a mirror, and the gold and silver patterns are integrated with the paint base, presenting a "flat-peeling" effect.

That’s why it’s called “gold and silver flat-peeling”, which is the pinnacle of the art combining ancient metal inlay and lacquer techniques.

There are two such items in Japan, a Tang Dynasty lacquer-backed octagonal mirror with gold and silver peeling, and a leather box with gold and silver peeling, which are regarded as national treasures.

However, the specific craftsmanship has long been lost, predating the "gold bead welding" technique and lost after the Song Dynasty. It was not until 2022 that the Hubei Museum accidentally collected relevant documents and restored it.

But here, there appeared one?
There is no doubt that the ancient method is used, and the teacher and student are not so blind that they cannot see it.

The gold and silver foil is mold-cut and engraved, and the inside and outside are all hand-made gold wire concentric rings, the patterns are embedded, painted many times, and then repeatedly finely ground by hand with charcoal.

It takes three months just to smooth out the paint layer.

Look at the price again: 160,000.

It's quite fair: after all, it uses real gold-engraved foil, and a lot of it.

Wang Qizhi's palms began to itch again, and Lin Sicheng felt like he was being scratched by a cat.

From Wang Qizhi's perspective, the lost secrets of the mirror alone were worth three hundred and sixty thousand. So Lin Sicheng had no real reason to persuade him.

But if you don't persuade him, he will really...

"Teacher, don't be anxious, wait and see!"

"I've seen it!" Wang Qizhi said confidently, "There are many items in the shop that use the blasting bead technique, but there's no gold bead welding."

Therefore, this is the only replica discovered by the master and apprentice so far, which was made using a typical lost craft.

The question is, 160,000?
Lin Sicheng shook his head: "Let's take another look!"

There are so many things out there, maybe you can come across one that "uses lost craftsmanship" and is relatively small in size and not too expensive.

If it really doesn't work, go find Teacher Bai from yesterday and buy back the agate cup.

Only 42,000...

"Look, look carefully. I'll take a break!" Wang Qizhi rubbed his brows. "My eyes are a little blurry!"

It would be strange if my eyes weren't blurry. I've been so excited all night, not even sleeping a wink, and my mind is so tense that even an iron man would be dizzy.

"Then take a nap!"

"No need to squint, it's already eleven o'clock!" Wang Qizhi looked at his watch, "Just watch for another half an hour."

"it is good!"

Lin Sicheng nodded and handed the flashlight to Ye Anning, who had been pretending to be invisible, so that he could provide him with auxiliary light when necessary.

Then he picked up the magnifying glass and prepared to change the counter to take another look.

He had walked over and taken three or four steps when he subconsciously stopped and turned back.

A golden crown sits quietly in a glass cabinet, shining brightly.

She was quite pretty, but the more Lin Sicheng looked at her, the more out of place she seemed.

At first glance: it looks a bit like the Diao Chan crown from the Song and Ming dynasties.

"History of the Song Dynasty - Vehicles and Clothing" Chapter 4: The Diaochan crown, also known as the Longjin, was square in shape, like a flat turban. It was decorated with silver, with a silver flower in front and a tortoiseshell cicada on top. Three small cicadas were placed on either side, each holding a jade nose and with a mink tail inserted in the left. The Three Dukes and the Princes wore this crown over the Jinxian crown when attending grand court ceremonies.

However, the Diao Chan crown of the Song Dynasty originated from the Jinde crown of the Tang Dynasty, but this one is a Yuanyou crown, and it does not have a cage, so it is definitely not it.

It looks a bit like the horse crown of the Ming Dynasty?
The Ming dynasty inherited the Song dynasty's system: from the first to the ninth rank, the number of beams on the crown was used as the standard. The duke's crown had eight beams, with a caged scarf decorated with Diao Chan. The duke's crown had seven beams, the earl's had six... The imperial consort's crown had five beams, with three small cicadas on either side, holding a jade nose, and a pheasant's tail inserted in the left, but no caged scarf.

There is indeed no cage scarf, but the question is, the crown is decorated with the silver bead flowers of the Song Dynasty crown?
Anyway, I feel that it is quite out of place, especially when it is surrounded by imitations that are so realistic that they cannot be more real, so I think this one is particularly eye-catching.

After taking a few glances, Lin Sicheng stepped back and raised the magnifying glass.

But after taking a few glances, his pupils shrank slightly: red gold thread?
It is not the red gold of Jiujiu Gold, but the red gold that was used in the Ming Dynasty according to the "Regulations on Vehicles and Clothing" to make a crown for the prince consort. It was made of "five parts gold, three parts silver, and two parts copper" and then pulled into red gold thread.

It’s the color in front of you: yellow with a hint of white.

The most important thing is: it doesn’t look like it was made old.

Lin Sicheng's heart skipped a beat: It's impossible that a real thing suddenly appeared in a store full of imitations?
(End of this chapter)