My system is not decent

Chapter 1935 Dry for a thousand years, wet for ten thousand years, neither dry nor wet for only half a year

Why are these lacquered woodware that have gone through thousands of years still immortal after more than 2000 years?
Generally, such ancient objects are related to "water".

According to reports, "soaked in water" is the scene when archaeologists first discovered these lacquerware.

The reason can be traced back to a major earthquake in Xijiang in 318 AD.

According to the "Book of Jin", in the first year of Daxing, Emperor Yuan of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, a major earthquake occurred in Yuzhang area, "water gushed out and landslides".

Later generations speculated that the coffin chamber of the tomb of Haihunhou also collapsed in the earthquake.

More than 100 years later, during the Liu and Song Dynasties of the Southern Dynasties, the water of Poyang Lake intruded southward again, causing the groundwater level to rise, and the tomb was flooded, forming a sealed anaerobic environment.

There is a saying: dry for a thousand years, wet for ten thousand years, neither dry nor wet for only half a year.

It is precisely because of long-term soaking in water and an anaerobic environment that these precious lacquered woodware can be preserved.

However, the lacquered woodware has been soaked in water for more than 1000 years. Although it has been preserved, it is in a saturated state, like a lump of cotton, full of water.

After being unearthed, the lacquered woodware in a saturated state becomes rotten, with reduced strength and loss of luster.

This kind of soaked lacquerware is a nest when pinched by hand.

Therefore, the unearthed lacquered woodware cannot be exposed to the air immediately, and still needs to be returned to the water before it can be preserved.

This process is not simple. For example, it takes 1 to 2 years to dehydrate before repairing.

Since the excavation of Haihunhou's tomb, there have been several exhibitions about the unearthed cultural relics.

However, except for this "Gandi Treasure 2022" cultural relics exhibition, the previous exhibits were mostly gold, jade, bronze and other cultural relics, and there were no real lacquered woodware.

Behind the late arrival of these lacquered woodware, there must be a reason.

It turns out that all the lacquerware currently on display have been dehydrated, and dehydration is the first step in the restoration of lacquerware.

Dehydration uses scientific and technological means to replace the water in the saturated lacquerware and strengthen the wood base.

This process is very long. Take a dehydrated piece as an example. Although it is only the size of a palm, it has been dehydrated for more than a year.

It was in a water-saturated state, but it shattered when pinched by hand. After dehydration, it became very hard and feels the same as the current wood.

Therefore, dehydration of lacquerware generally takes 1 to 2 years, which is called "dehydration protection".

After dehydration comes restoration, which can be summed up as "slow work and meticulous work".

To dehydrate lacquerware, the remnants first need to be placed in a plaster mold to shape and dry, followed by bonding and completion of the fragments.

This is a process that requires patience and care. In many cases, cultural relics workers need to put together the broken pieces one by one.

It is reported that among the lacquered woodware unearthed from Haihunhou's tomb, a total of 960 sets were included in the first batch of restoration plans.

Mainly lacquer plates and lacquer ear cups.

So far, only a hundred pieces have been repaired, and the Confucius screen, lacquer box with gold and silver lacquer are included in the second batch of restoration list.

And as long as it is preserved, many of them are treasures, such as some lacquerware, which are all small, and you can see the classics of thousands of years at a glance.

If we say that these exquisite lacquered woodware are the testimony of the brilliance of lacquer art 2000 years ago.

Then, the inscriptions engraved on it show us a picture scroll of the ancient people's economy, life and customs.

Many lacquered woodware unearthed from Haihunhou's tomb have inscriptions.

When it was built, how many pieces were built, how much paint was used, how many workers were used, and how it was made, the inscriptions are all recorded very clearly.

The smallest unit of lacquer used is "蘥".

At that time, it was recorded in literature that the value of one lacquer cup was equal to 10 copper cups.

The manpower consumption is even more "a cup of pot takes the power of a hundred people, and a screen can do the work of ten thousand people", which shows the preciousness of lacquerware.

The Confucius screen unearthed from the tomb of Haihunhou was the pinnacle of lacquer art at that time. "

When the Confucius screen was unearthed, images and biographies of Confucius and his disciples were painted on it.

When it was unearthed, because the lacquered wood structure of the cultural relic was similar to the screen, it was tentatively named the Confucius screen.

But there is also a bronze mirror inlaid on the Confucius screen, which is actually a mirror screen that integrates the screen and the clothes mirror.

More than 2000 years ago, the mirror screen placed in front of the bed of Haihunhou Liu He not only allowed him to absorb moral nutrients from the behavior of Confucius and sages, but also allowed him to "dress up".

The Confucius mirror screen that has been unearthed is mainly composed of two parts, one is a clothing mirror and the other is a remnant of lacquered wood.

The dressing mirror is a large bronze mirror with a length of 76.3 cm and a width of 46.5 cm, which is similar in size to modern ordinary dressing mirrors and has considerable practical functions;

The lacquered wood frame around the mirror is painted with pictures of the Eastern Prince, the Western Queen Mother, Qinglong, Baihu, Suzaku, and Xuanwu, and the square mirror is embedded in the frame.

On the back of the mirror is a lacquered wood screen, similar in shape to a screen, on which are painted images and biographies of Confucius, Yan Hui and others.

This is also the earliest portrait of Confucius preserved in the world so far.

Interestingly, the clothing mirror in the mirror screen of Confucius is not like the clothing mirror we use in our daily life, which can directly reflect images.

In the unearthed mirror screen of Confucius, there are two pieces of lacquered wood painted with black cranes.

The black crane lacquer is the mirror cover, and its structure is the same as that of two doors. Between opening and closing, it guards the bronze mirror inside.

Therefore, when the owner of the mirror screen used it to organize his appearance, he had to open its mirror cover like opening a wardrobe.

If there is no inscription, it is difficult to confirm who made such a high-quality production.

Not only this one, but who made these exquisite lacquered woodware can be known from the inscriptions on it.

Take the unearthed lacquer zi as an example. The body of this zi found in the Haihunhou Kingdom site is made of single wood, rectangular and incomplete.

The panel is slightly arched, with no string posts, and the head and tail are painted with black lacquer.

Near the head end is horizontally embedded with a first mountain as long as the face width, near the tail end is horizontally embedded with three tail mountains, and in the middle of the tail end is embedded with 4 bronze pillars.

Its inscription is: "First. Twenty-five strings, the forbidden length is two feet and eight inches, and the height is ten inches. In June of the seventh year of Changyi, Jiazi. The chief minister of ritual and music was the beginning, and Shi Chenfu, Se Gongchen Cheng, and Chen ordered it .”

The research found that "Se Gong Chen Cheng, Chen Ding Zao" refers to the craftsmen who made the lacquer zi by themselves, one named Cheng and the other named Ding.

According to reports, this is called "Wu Le Gong Ming", that is, the maker and inspector of the utensils should engrave their names on it.

This first came from "Lu Shi Chunqiu", which is equivalent to the ancient post responsibility system.

Qin and Se are two stringed instruments. When played together, the sound is harmonious and pleasant to the ear.

It is a metaphor for a husband and wife who have a very good relationship and love each other.

Legend has it that the Qin and Se were invented by Fuxi.

Qin and se are both made of sycamore wood, with hollow spaces, and silk ropes as strings.

The qin originally had five strings and was later increased to seven strings;

At the beginning, there were 25 strings, and later it was increased to [-] strings.

The ancients believed that the qin and the se can smooth the energy of yin and yang and purify the heart.

Therefore, in ancient poems, the qin and the harp have become symbols of beauty, such as "a wife who loves to get along is like a drum, a harp and a harp";

(End of this chapter)