National Tide 1980.

Chapter 481

Antique porcelain, that is, imitating the exquisite porcelain of the previous generation.

The antique porcelain in the capital mainly imitates the colored porcelain wares from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty before Qianlong.

Imitation and production of famous porcelain in the past dynasties existed in the Ming Dynasty, and it was especially prosperous in the Qing Dynasty, and there was a manufacturing office.

White porcelain bodies were fired in Jingdezhen, transported to the capital, and artisans were hired to imitate the traditional painting method to repaint them, bake and dye them, and make imitation old porcelain for the imperial court's internal rewards and external exchanges.

After the Revolution of [-], the court and some royal families and bureaucrats fell into decline, and some exquisite porcelain flowed into the people.

Regardless of the shape or decoration, these porcelains are rare high-quality goods among the people, but the quantity is not large, and they have become sought-after items in the domestic and foreign markets.As a result, the folk antique porcelain industry in Beijing developed.

However, before 1949, this industry was all individual handicraftsmen, and the variety and quantity of products were not many.

And as it happens, the two most famous are named Zhan.

Zhan Yuanguang, a native of Jingdezhen, Jiangxi.

Came to Beijing from Jingdezhen in 1903, and made imitation Ming and Qing official kiln porcelain for antique dealers.

His wages are extremely high, which cannot be afforded by ordinary antique shops.

He once made a pair of Qianlong Imperial Kiln enamel colored porcelain bowls for Rong Xingxiang of Dongsi Pailou.

The color quality is as delicate as grease, the color is fresh and tender, and the painting is exquisite.

The wages are [-] yuan now, and the construction period is nearly one year.

But his skills have not been passed on to others, and his works are very few.

Zhan Xingxiang was born in Wuyuan County, Anhui Province.

He came to Beijing in the early years of the Republic of China and lived in Shihu Hutong, Dongzhu Shikou. He specialized in repairing porcelain and hanging colored porcelain after firing.

Low wages, many works.

In the 30s, he fired a Yongzheng official kiln famille rose five-inch plate, which was originally plain white on the inside and colorful flowers on the outside.

Zhan Xingxiang painted five butterflies and small flowers filled with pastels on the plate, which became a masterpiece of post-hanging colors with special and unique colors.The color matching and filling of antique porcelain is the key to the process, and the prepared color must be consistent with the original color after firing.

Porcelain is baked in a small kiln. Without an electric furnace, it is difficult to control the temperature.

Zhan Xingxiang masters the temperature of the kiln based on experience, and the color of the fire is just right.

His unique skill of color matching was passed on to his apprentice Liu Yongqing. Liu Yongqing developed this skill and became a famous teacher of post-hanging color craft technology.

In the early 40s, Liu Yongqing independently fired and hung colored porcelain, painted and fired hundreds of colored porcelain imitating Ming and Qing official kilns.

Its imitation Wanli five-color "Mandarin Duck Plate in Lotus Pond" in Ming Dynasty has become a national first-class cultural relic and is collected in the museum.

Kangxi blue and white "Yellow Plum Vase" was collected by Shanghai collectors in 1944.

Four pairs of Yongzheng famille rose "Peony Bowls" were sold by Baoguzhai to Japan's Yamanaka Chamber of Commerce in 1945 at a price of [-] yuan per pair.

Liu Yongqing's imitation of Yongzheng blue and white porcelain and Kangxi underglaze red porcelain is the best, but there are very few products.

In the 50s, an antique dealer in Hong Kong City hired him to perform in Paris, France, but he declined.

After that, Liu Yongqing was resettled by the state and was able to work in the Jingcheng Handicraft Factory on Nanbinhe Road outside Guang'anmen.

This factory is the only professional manufacturer of antique porcelain in Beijing after the founding of the People's Republic of China.

It's just that although Liu Yongqing has superb skills, he has a stubborn temper and aloofness.

For this reason, the relationship between him and the factory leaders was quite unharmonious.

In the teaching of skills, there are also secrets.

For example, he passed on to his apprentices the general skills of drawing, painting, writing, etc.

However, the baking techniques of ingredients, color matching, firing blue and white porcelain, and glaze red have never been passed on.

At the end of the 70s, a ceramic factory of a township enterprise in the suburbs of Beijing paid a high price to hire it to copy Ming and Qing official kiln porcelain.

Liu Yongqing even resigned from the public office because of anger with the leader, which was extremely unwise and cut off his own career path.

But what he never expected was that he didn't know he was fooled until he went there.

The structure of this township enterprise is really not high. He was hired only for short-term profits. Most of the products he produced were general products, and there were very few high-quality goods.

At this time, he can only work for the township enterprises for the time being, hoping to help the township factories grow and regain the conditions to make full use of their talents in the future.

But the sky fails to fulfill people's wishes, and the township factory not only has no great ambitions, but also shows no friendship.

In 1982, because of the slump in the antique porcelain market, and the employees of the township factory had mastered the basic production technology, Liu Yongqing was mercilessly fired by the factory.

At this time, Liu Yongqing, of course, regretted it too late.

It can be said that he who has returned to Beijing is already old and has nowhere to rely on.

And at this time, even if he wanted to pass on his unique skills, it would be too late.

No matter whether he recommended himself or was recommended by friends, no one has cooperated with him.

You know, the market for antique porcelain these days is really not good. No one wants the real thing, let alone imitation.

Therefore, in the capital of this era, it is not just the "Tao Chang" family who are troubled by the inheritance of skills.

The death of human beings is no less than the number of wild animals that go extinct every year in the world.

Just like Liu Yongqing, he finally had to lower his head that had been held high all his life to make the last effort.

I can only ask the leader of the Jingcheng Handicraft Factory who was employed before, hoping to give him a chance to open a kiln and pass on his skills.

Liu Yongqing doesn't want any job title or salary, just ask for a name.

Really let everyone in the factory know the color matching method of the hanging color craft, it is enough that he passed it down from Liu Yongqing.

But it is a pity that even with such a low profile, indifference and humiliation are still inevitable.

Liu Yongqing ran several times by himself, but he couldn't even see anyone who could take care of things.

I can only sit on the bench foolishly and be laughed at by those old colleagues in the factory.

There were so many people there that in the end they couldn't even enter the factory gate.

Even the messenger office received an order not to let him enter the factory to harass the leaders in their work.

In the end, Liu Yongqing had no choice but to ask Ye Hemin, a ceramic expert whom he had contacted in his previous work.

It is hoped that by virtue of his status and influence in the industry, he can persuade the factory leaders to allow him to return to the factory to pass on his skills.

It should be said that Liu Yongqing's last attempt was on the right track.

Given that Ye Hemin is an academic expert in the industry, the Jingcheng Handicraft Factory is not good at saving face and rejecting him.

So a deputy factory manager in charge of production finally came forward to receive them and allowed Liu Yongqing to state his request face to face.

It's just that this is just a situation out of politeness.

Because the deputy factory manager clearly expressed disdain and impatience when listening.

As if wandering away, while tapping the table with his knuckles, the feet under the table are also lightly stepping on the ground.

And when Liu Yongqing finished saying everything he wanted to say, he didn't respond for a long time, so he just continued to knock with his knuckles.

Accompanied by the sound of the pointer on the wall clock that is neither fast nor slow - tick, tick, tick, tick, tick, tick...

1 minute.two minutes. 3 minutes. 5 minutes. 8 minutes……

This kind of drying, not to mention giving Liu Yongqing a bad feeling.

Even Ye Hemin couldn't see it anymore, so he had to take the initiative to become a lobbyist for Liu Yongqing.

"Master Chai, we have known each other for more than ten years. I came to serve as a consultant not long after the factory was built here. We should be friends, right? Then I will speak frankly. The conflict between Master Liu and the factory I don't know the details. But this time Master Liu came to me because he regretted some of his past ways of doing things. That's why he wanted to leave his unique skills to our factory, which can be regarded as leaving something real for our factory. I think Master Liu's skills are well-known, not to mention he doesn't ask for any treatment. The factory won't refuse his kindness, will it?"

Only then did the deputy director respond.

He sighed and said, "Mr. Ye, it's not that I don't know Master Liu's ability. If we open a kiln to burn porcelain and bring a few more apprentices, we can indeed retain Master Liu's technology. But the factory is currently short of funds! Antique porcelain The demand itself is not much. We really can't afford to invest in technology."

"Nowadays, few people like old objects. Most of those who buy new porcelain are looking for a bargain. And those who can afford to buy antique porcelain, why don't they buy real old porcelain? So the key The problem is, how can we get back the money invested. No matter how good Master Liu’s skills are, if no one can afford the porcelain he burns, that’s useless.”

"Is technology like this really useful? This is the question we need to understand the most right now. In the past, when Master Liu was in our factory, we asked for his technology, but the situation is different now. Nothing else It is said that people's township enterprises have explained everything with their actions. If these technologies are really valuable, why would they not want them..."

These words were spoken politely, but they actually made him feel worse than slapping Liu Yongqing.

What is heart-punishing language?This is!
Liu Yongqing listened, as if his cheeks ached.

And the most embarrassing thing, he didn't know whether to keep the forced smile on his face or accept it.

"I know that the sales of our antique porcelain are not very good, and I can understand the difficulties of our factory. But this cannot deny the technical value of antique porcelain, and cannot deny the technical level of Master Liu. After all, we are a state-owned handicraft factory. In addition to economic benefits Besides, does it also have the responsibility to create social benefits and protect arts and crafts skills? It should be for long-term consideration..."

Seeing Liu Yongqing's strong smiling face was uglier than crying, it was a little distorted.

Ye Hemin couldn't bear it in his heart, so he spoke up again and tried his best to persuade him.

What he said was indeed the truth, from the heart.

It's a pity that he is a scholar engaged in the study of ancient porcelain, and he is an expert in academic issues.

But if you want to talk about shirking responsibility and making excuses, how can he be the opponent of the sub-factory?
"Mr. Ye, don't embarrass me. What you said is correct, but the actual situation does not allow it. The workers in the factory should know that I have used all the bonus money from everyone to start a kiln to burn porcelain, so why don't I The office was smashed? I can’t even make it through tomorrow, how can I go on in the long run?”

"It's just that the workers don't make trouble. What do the other master craftsmen in the factory think of me? They are still people in the factory. If you want to ask me why I don't help them open kilns and burn porcelain to keep their skills, but give so much investment to outsiders. How do I say that?" what?"

"I am the most loyal person in my life. This time, it is really different. I am quite embarrassed..."

In this way, after fighting again and again, and being rejected again and again, Liu Yongqing still failed to achieve his wish in the end.

After more than half an hour passed, Liu Yongqing almost gave up.

He didn't want to listen anymore, and he didn't dare to listen anymore.

His knees and ankles were trembling, and he stood up on his own, holding the wall with his hands, feeling as cold as iron.

In a daze, he walked slowly towards the door without saying anything.

There is only one thought in my heart.

"Trash... trash... my craft has become trash, no one wants it anymore... be sensible, let's go..."

After going out the door, Liu Yongqing suddenly became dizzy again, and he was a little unable to walk while holding on to the wall with trembling hands.

Those feet, which were as heavy as lead, didn't seem to belong to him anymore.

The numbness also traveled through the whole body along with the nerves, and he even became dull in thinking.

So much so that even Ye Hemin, who chased him out, helped him and asked him, but he couldn't answer.

"Uh, uh, uh."

There was a sound in Liu Yongqing's throat, that's all.

He seemed to have encountered five thunderbolts.

In front of him is a difficulty that he never thought of in his life, and he can't get over it.

The ancients said that the world is evil and everything is changing.

Now he has truly experienced the sadness of being rejected by fate and losing all hope in life like the first half of the sentence.

But fortunately, the second half of the sentence is really not a bad word.

You know, the biggest coincidence in life is that there is no way out, and there is another village where the willows are dark and the flowers are bright.

In fact, just when Liu Yongqing's spirit and body were almost unable to withstand the blow and were about to collapse, a miracle happened.

There were footsteps in the corridor, and the factory manager and the secretary came here with a few people.

And holding a lot of photos in his hand, he was quite affectionate when he saw Liu Yongqing, and he didn't have the slightest indifference and disgust.

"Master Liu, you haven't left yet, that's great! We're really afraid that you're gone. Hey, please help me to see, can you burn the yellow-ground blue-and-white porcelain in this photo? "

"Hey, what's the matter with you? Are you feeling unwell? This is a big job from our factory, and you are even asked to color it! This blue is the most terrible!"

"Hey, Lao Liu, don't scare us, do you still want to open a kiln to make porcelain? If you want to, you really have to take care of your body!"

These few sentences were effective, Liu Yongqing immediately became energetic, and asked questions in disbelief.

"What? Can I still open a kiln to make porcelain??"

"Yes," the factory manager said firmly, "as long as you can burn [-] sets of this kind of porcelain for our factory."

Liu Yongqing's tears gushed out at this moment, and he almost issued a military order with a crying sound.

"Can burn! Can burn! There is no color in the world that Liu Yongqing can't match!"

The factory manager said happily because of this.

"Master Liu, then you have a lot of potential. Come on, let me introduce you, these are two comrades from the district..."

Unexpectedly, one of the two people introduced couldn't bear it anymore, and shouted at Ye Hemin in surprise.

"Hey, Ye... Comrade Ye, what a coincidence, I ran into you again here. You don't work here, do you? Do you remember me? We met in the fasting palace, my name is Ning Weimin... "

Ye Hemin was taken aback when he heard it, and after a while, he also recognized it.

"Young man, it's you! We are so destined!"

(End of this chapter)