I looked at the craftsmanship of the copper kettle in front of me bit by bit. The more I looked at it, the more I realized why this thing was an important item.
With such a complicated craftsmanship, even now, let alone thousands of years of ancient times, anyone can tell that this is a treasure.
Not to mention other craftsmanship, let’s just talk about the net cover. The horizontal hoop at the junction of the two halves of the net cover on this thing is actually decorated with gold flowing cloud patterns, as well as plain-faced rings and standing animals arranged alternately.
There are four vertical hoops and ears each, the body is in the shape of a tiger, and the whole body is decorated with gold and silver.
It can be said that every part of this bronze vessel that can be decorated has been made.
The casting process of this copper kettle is so delicate and complex that it far exceeds people's imagination.
Chen Wenzhe believes that such a casting process cannot be achieved by the Fan casting method. It can only be produced by using the lost wax investment method of precision casting.
Why do I say that? Because the gap between the mesh cover and the pot body is only 1 mm.
The diameter of the copper wire on the dragon body is 2.5 mm. Such a thin copper wire forms a network, and the total thickness of the three-layer network is only 16 mm.
This kind of technology can definitely bring the use of the lost wax method back to the Warring States Period.
In other words, the lost-wax technique was already well-established during the Warring States Period, and after all, such fine and complex artifacts had been produced.
The craftsmanship and inscription make this artifact a well-deserved national treasure.
After seeing clearly the craftsmanship on it, Chen Wenzhe's old habit relapsed.
He couldn't help but think about how to make a copy.
He understands ancient craftsmanship and has a cheating device that allows him to see how ancient people made this treasure.
Combining these and his talent, it is not difficult to copy one.
It’s just a question of whether it’s cost-effective or not. After all, what kind of craftsmanship can’t be done by modern people now?
Even if there are some things that are so-called lost and can’t be made, it’s just because I don’t want to waste the money and energy.
Even if it is impossible to replicate ancient craftsmanship, it can certainly produce ancient effects, or even artifacts that exceed the level of ancient craftsmanship.
It's just a matter of whether it's cost-effective or not, and whether you want it or not.
Therefore, the value of this bronze still lies in the inscription on it.
Why are bronzes valued by the country and even strictly prohibited from trading?
It is because many bronzes carry a part of China's rich history.
The unearthing of this bronze vessel will definitely add important information to the study of ancient bronze casting technology in my country.
Furthermore, the release of the inscriptions on the vessel has revealed a mystery that has remained unsolved for many years, adding a new chapter to domestic archaeological work.
The inscriptions on it reflect the historical facts of Qi's attack on Yan in 315 BC, which can also confirm and supplement the records in the literature.
There is also a bronze kettle decorated with a three-layer network of three-dimensional hollow mesh sleeves composed of long dragons and plum blossom nails. This is the first time it has been discovered in archaeology, reflecting the superb level of bronze casting technology at that time.
As long as this thing appears in China, it will definitely be included in the list of cultural relics that are prohibited from being exported for exhibition!
Chen Wenzhe finally figured out that the group of Pengcheng villagers were quite knowledgeable and capable. Although they obtained many treasures, they classified them very accurately.
Among this large number of treasures, gold bricks are naturally the least valuable, followed by various gold cakes used as currency, then various gold utensils, and finally the bronze utensils and gold-studded jade clothes hidden in this secret corner.
Of course, there are also the large number of pottery figurines and Buddha statues, which should be the least favored.
Don't talk about the pottery figurines of the Han Dynasty, let's just talk about the Tang Dynasty tricolor paintings. At that time, they should not be welcomed. After all, they are sacred artifacts, and most people don't want to collect them.
As for why the price of Tang Sancai has soared in modern times, it was entirely brought about by foreigners.
Foreigners have no taboos. They think Tang Sancai is beautiful, so they buy it at high prices.
What’s more, the price is getting higher and higher, and it feeds back into the country. Many people in the country also think it is a good thing, but there is no way it is worth anything.
Whether something is valuable or not depends on what it is compared to!
Looking at the cave in front of him, Chen Wenzhe laughed.
The country's leaders must be wise, and they know better what is valuable.
Walking through the passages, discovering treasures again and again, and combining the passages in the mountain, Chen Wenzhe can generally describe the situation underground.
Although gold and bronze were the heaviest, they were easy to transport and not easily damaged, so they were moved to the innermost part of the mountain passage.
As pottery is the largest in size, easily broken, difficult to transport, and may be in large quantities, it must be disposed of nearby.
, that large batch of pottery figurines were buried in a cave near the port.
In addition, the unexpectedly harvested Buddha statues were left there because they were too heavy.
Thinking of some small gold and jade Buddha statues and pagodas, Chen Wenzhe knew that both the people who came from Pengcheng and the later Japs hid the treasures here in a hurry and did not have much time to sort them out.
Otherwise, some of the little things here might disappear.
Now he is not in a hurry, and is sorting it out slowly, waiting to get rid of all the discovered treasures before dealing with the batch of pottery figurines.
Now Chen Wenzhe is becoming more and more interested in these treasures in front of him, because from time to time he can find something that makes him particularly happy.
For example, now, he has found another treasure, a real treasure that can be compared with the heavy treasures he has seen before.
He had checked the information before and naturally knew that a rare discovery in the country was the tomb full of Liu Sheng.
The Changxin palace lanterns that were dug out there are definitely among the top treasures.
Even because of that treasure, all civilizations in the world are in awe, because China had environmental awareness almost two thousand years ago.
At this moment, the treasure in front of Chen Wenzhe was similar to the Changxin palace lantern.
Compared with the Zhuque palace lantern unearthed from Liu Sheng's tomb, it can even be said to be superior.
This is an Eastern Han Dynasty silver-coated copper cow lamp, with a height of 46.2 cm and a length of 36.4 cm.
The whole device is in the shape of an ox-backed lamp, and its structure is divided into three parts: the lamp holder, the lamp, and the flue. All three parts are removable, making it easy to use and clean.
The cow in the lamp holder stands with its head bowed and has a plump body. This is a majestic and powerful ox standing with its head bowed, its horns upturned, its four legs short and stocky, and its tail curled upward.
It looks static, but has a spiral tail, open eyes and mouth, erect ears and diagonal, slightly moving legs.
The lamp is placed on a circular base in the middle of the cow's back. The lamp has two rotatable rhombus-hole lampshades, which can transmit light twice.
The lampshade is set into a groove on the edge of the circular lamp panel. The lamp panel has a short handle. After lighting the candle, the lampshade can be rotated to adjust the angle of the light.
There is an arc on the top of the lamp cover connected to the cow's head. This is set up so that the smoke generated in the lamp holder can be discharged into the cow's belly. Using this smoke exhaust device can purify the air.