In the 1980s, the Ru Kiln ruins of Qingliang Temple in Nanhe were discovered.
A large number of Ruguan kiln fragments, saggers, kiln furniture, kilns, workshops, etc. were unearthed.
At this time, the mystery of Ruguan Kiln was slowly unveiled.
Ru porcelain has always been called "like jade, not jade, but better than jade" by the world.
Genuine Ru porcelain has the characteristics of fine and moist soil, body like Dong body, thick glaze, sound like a qing, bright but not dazzling.
Therefore, the value of your porcelain lies not in its shape, but in its glaze and glaze color.
The glaze is moist and soft, as pure as jade, and has a distinct buttery feel.
In the later period, the most distinctive glaze colors were azure and sky blue as the main colors, as well as bean green, pink green, green green and plum green.
This quality is due to its unique glaze formula, complex production process and almost harsh firing range.
Chen Wenzhe saw the unique formula.
The glaze formula of Ru porcelain is high-aluminum and low-silicon, and there is agate in the glaze, so the glaze of Ru porcelain has a jade-like feel.
The Ruzhou area is rich in porcelain clay, glazes, rich in fuel resources, dense forests on the mountains, and hundreds of miles of coal sea underground. These provided extremely favorable conditions for the development of Ruzhou's porcelain industry in the Song Dynasty.
After determining the address and combining it with the modern Ruzhou Ru Kiln, Chen Wenzhe came up with a lot of information.
Nowadays, many people are imitating Ru kiln porcelain, and Ruzhou is the leader among them. However, the porcelain they imitate is only similar in shape, and even the color is not satisfactory, not to mention the texture and cracking of the glaze.
Similar in appearance but different in spirit, this is the reason why modern Ruzhou Ru Kiln porcelain is not famous.
However, whether modern imitations are good or not has no reference value for Chen Wenzhe. What he needs is qualified raw materials.
Ru porcelain is named after the place, and its clay and glaze are all sourced from the local area. Just know this.
"I didn't expect it to be so easy? It seems like whatever you want, you can just buy it!"
Chen Wenzhe was very happy that he found the raw materials and they were easy to buy.
Next, he reviewed the process and began to look at the firing process of the three-legged washbasin in his hand.
This piece of porcelain must have a long history. What Chen Wenzhe is most interested in are the materials used in the kiln site design and the firing process.
He didn't rush to study these carefully. He just looked at the general process and had an idea.
The craftsmanship level of Ru kiln is very high. Whether it is the production process or the firing process, it is very complicated and you will definitely not be able to learn it in a short time.
Now he is just taking a general look. The most important thing is that he wants to take a look at the origin of this exquisite piece in his hand!
"The author is Yan He? Is this the inventor of Azure?"
After thinking for a moment, Chen Wenzhe remembered who this person named Yan He was.
It is no exaggeration to say that this man is called a skilled craftsman. He can be said to be a true master of porcelain making, especially for Ru kiln porcelain, he is even more master among masters.
At that time, Ru porcelain was divided into three categories: civilian Ru, official Ru and official porcelain.
In the late Northern Song Dynasty, Ru porcelain began to be appreciated and favored by the court nobles, so Guan Ru porcelain was born, which is also known as Ru porcelain in history books.
Ru porcelain has been regarded as an auspicious object by emperors of all dynasties and a treasure for holding palaces. It has been passed down from generation to generation and will not be buried with the underworld.
When it comes to Ru Guanci, we have to talk about Yan He.
There is a legend that has been circulating among the people about Ruci Ruguan porcelain.
It is said that more than 800 years ago, Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty Zhao Ji had a dream that the sky cleared after the rain.
He was very fond of the color in the sky after the rain that he saw in his dream, so he sent an edict to porcelain craftsmen across the country: "After the rain, the sky is clear and the clouds are clear, this color is the future."
Zhao Ji's request stumped many craftsmen at that time.
It is said that the two porcelain officials at that time were dismissed because they failed to produce azure porcelain.
The final task fell on Yan He, a potter with extraordinary skills. Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty ordered him to burn new porcelain within a time limit and be sent to the army in violation of the deadline.
Yan He, despite his uncanny craftsmanship, was at a loss for this dreamy azure color.
One night, Yan He had a dream, in which the gods told him that human beings must be sacrificed in the kiln.
Seeing that the deadline was approaching, Yan He looked at the burning kiln fire and became anxious as he thought about his absurd dream.
When his seven-year-old daughter Yan Ying asked him the reason, he said: "The first two porcelain officials have been dismissed. If I can't make azure porcelain, I will be in big trouble!"
My daughter asked: "How can I burn it to azure color?"
He said: "The gods said that if a living person jumped into it, they might be able to create porcelain of this color, but how could I bear to harm the people!"
Unexpectedly, as soon as he finished speaking, Yan Ying jumped into the kiln. In an instant, flames rose, brilliance shone, and a generation of unique masterpieces came out.
Looking at the glaze color, it looks like a clear sky after rain, bright and translucent, smooth and delicate, like beautiful jade.
Upon closer inspection, the glaze surface has tiny openings like cicada wings, which appear and disappear under the light, twinkling like morning stars.
This state of "natural craftsmanship and freshness", simple, rich, soft and elegant character, immediately attracted the literati emperor who was fascinated by Taoism.
In the eyes of Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty, Ru porcelain was neither a furnishing nor a daily necessities, but an unparalleled masterpiece of art.
So he ordered that your porcelain be made the royal porcelain of the palace and not allowed to be used by the people.
It is now difficult to verify whether the story is true or false, but Ru Ci has added a layer of legendary mystery precisely because of his rarity and the exquisiteness of his works.
Of course, Chen Wenzhe is now 100% sure that this legend is false because he watched Yan He's process of firing Ruguan kiln porcelain.
Here, he found no signs of death at all.
Chen Wenzhe now has an understanding of the entire process of Ru porcelain production.
He has a new understanding from the selection of raw materials, material grinding, slip molding, trimming, bisque firing, glaze firing, etc., to the final grading and storage.
Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty devoted all his manpower and material resources to surpassing the previous dynasty and producing a Ru kiln that could rival it.
The color and effect of the Ruguan kiln produced by Yan He are outstanding.
Only by seeing the firing process of Ruguan kiln can we truly understand that the porcelain body of Ru kiln is not white.
This is a unique color that can be seen from the edge, with a faint purple color called "fragrant gray tire".
The glaze color of porcelain, whether translucent or opaque, shows a very soft and pleasant azure color, and often has slight glaze cracks, which is commonly known as "crab claw pattern".
This kind of color and effect has been imitated by later generations. Whether it is Guan Kiln and Ge Kiln in the Southern Song Dynasty, or Yongzheng and Qianlong in the Qing Dynasty, although they finally made their own styles, in terms of imitation technology, they can only do To the point where he looks like a lost god!
"The craftsmanship is too complicated. I really don't know how the ancients developed it."
After seeing the process of making Ru kiln porcelain, Chen Wenzhe really admired the ancients, especially Yan He.
Although the legend that his daughter died in the kiln is false, the Ruguan kiln he made is really extraordinary.