120: Chapter 120 South China Sea Trade Export Porcelain

He took out the spray bottle and first tested it on a piece of scrap. After observing for about two minutes and seeing no abnormal reaction on the glaze, he began the formal operation.

He started with the six complete pieces, spraying them one by one to ensure even coverage without missing any spots or allowing liquid to pool. He slowed down significantly for the thin-walled bowl; thin-walled items have thin glaze layers, requiring more caution during the operation.

Next were the twelve damaged pieces.

Finally, he attended to the batch of fragments in the tray. He switched to a smaller spray bottle with a finer nozzle and more even mist. He flipped the fragments in the tray to ensure both sides were sprayed.

Once finished, the workbench was densely packed with items, leaving almost no empty space.

Hu Tian straightened his back, put the spray bottle away, removed his gloves, and rubbed his wrists.

He stepped forward again and began to examine them carefully.

There were six pieces in total that were complete, or at least basically complete.

He placed these six pieces side-by-side on the left side of the workbench, leaving enough space between them so they wouldn't touch.

Two of them were Prunus Vases with a greenish-gray glaze and even crackle, clearly in the style of the Song Dynasty. Another was a wide-mouthed bowl with extremely thin walls that could cast a shadow when held against the light, possessing a translucent texture that was considered top-tier among Song ceramics. There were also two jars with rounded shoulders and low feet, showing slight glaze runs on the surface. The last piece was a small Cup Stand; the cup itself was missing, but the stand was intact with a ring of delicate carvings around the rim.

Among the six pieces, that thin-walled bowl caught his eye for a few extra moments.

The glaze was white with a hint of green, moist and lustrous. When the light hit it, it gave off a restrained glow that didn't just float on the surface but seemed to emanate from within the body.

Just as he was about to pick up his notebook, a thought suddenly struck him.

The Treasure Hunting Radar's resonance quietly lit up. It wasn't because of something outside; rather, the six items on the table had triggered the system's scanning mode.

He put down his pen.

The system's information stream surfaced in his mind one by one, clear and quiet, like someone whispering in his ear.

The first item: the first Prunus Vase on the left.

[Name: Longquan Kiln Celadon Prunus Vase] [Period: Third year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, approximately 1726–1727 AD]

[Origin: Longquan Kiln, Zhejiang; South China Sea export trade porcelain]

[Valuation: Current market reference price; transaction records for similar items in pristine condition range from 3.2 million to 5.4 million RMB]

[Cleaning: Soak surface salt crystals in a low-concentration 5% citric acid solution for no more than forty minutes. Do not apply pressure to glaze cracks. Use a soft brush for drainage. After air-drying, protect with microcrystalline wax]

Hu Tian's gaze fell on that Prunus Vase, and he looked at it again.

The glaze was a cool greenish-gray. The date was a bit earlier than his initial judgment, which explained why the crackle was so even.

The second item: the other Prunus Vase right next to it.

[Name: Longquan Kiln Celadon Prunus Vase, Fenqing Glaze]

[Period: Third year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, approximately 1726–1727 AD]

[Origin: Longquan Kiln, Zhejiang; South China Sea export trade porcelain]

[Valuation: The Fenqing Glaze color is pure. Reference price for similar items ranges from 3.6 million to 5.9 million RMB. Condition is slightly superior to the former]

[Cleaning: Same as above. After salt removal, note a 2mm hidden crack in the glaze. Internal reinforcement with epoxy resin materials is required before restoration; do not rush to apply color]

He gently moved the second Prunus Vase a bit to the right, further from the edge of the table.

The third item: the thin-walled bowl.

[Name: Ding Kiln White Glaze Thin-Walled Bowl with Carved Floral Patterns]

[Period of Firing: First year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, approximately 1723–1725 AD]

[Origin: Quyang Ding Kiln, Hebei; Official Kiln grade]

[Valuation: Very few thin-walled Imperial Ding Kiln pieces survive. This item is in near-perfect condition. Reference range in domestic and international auction markets is 7.8 million to 13.2 million RMB. If the provenance is verifiable, the value may be higher]

[Cleaning: The body is extremely thin. A soft cushion must be used as a base throughout the process; do not hold it suspended in the air. Use pure water to gently wipe away salt repeatedly; soaking is not recommended. The glaze has high luster; use a colorless wax for sealing and avoid any materials containing abrasive components]

Hu Tian paused.

He knew this bowl was different.

Starting at 7.8 million, and it was Official Kiln grade.

How this thing ended up at sea back then was something no one could explain clearly.

He looked at it again. Under the light, that layer of white-with-green luster sat deep within the glaze, quiet and serene. After nearly a thousand years underwater, it still looked like this.

The fourth item: the first of the two rounded-shoulder, low-footed jars.

[Name: Yue Kiln Celadon Jar, Mise Glaze]

[Period: Second year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, approximately 1724–1726 AD]

[Origin: Yue Kiln, Yuyao, Zhejiang. Production of Mise Glaze was limited; this item is suspected to be a leaked tribute piece exported via Mingzhou Port]

[Valuation: Surviving Mise Glaze pieces are rare, and jar-shaped vessels are even rarer. Reference range: 5.6 million to 8.5 million RMB]

[Cleaning: There are small amounts of calcareous encrustations at the glaze runs. Use an ultra-fine tungsten steel dental pick to gently remove the outer layer, and treat the inner layer with citric acid solution. Wear anti-vibration gloves throughout the operation]

The fifth item: the second rounded-shoulder, low-footed jar.

[Name: Yue Kiln Celadon Jar, Underglaze Brown Decor]

[Period: Second year of the Yongzheng Emperor's reign, approximately 1724–1726 AD]

[Origin: From the same batch of Yue Kiln products. Brown decor techniques were relatively rare during the Yongzheng period; suspected to be a special custom order]

[Valuation: Underglaze brown decor Yue Kiln ware from the Qing Dynasty. Reference range: 4 million to 6.7 million RMB. If the painted patterns can be fully revealed, there is significant room for value appreciation]

[Cleaning: The brown decor part is sensitive to acidic solutions. Avoid the painted areas during cleaning and only treat the surrounding glaze. Use a cotton swab with pure water to gently wipe the painted area]

The final item: the small Cup Stand.

[Name: Ru Kiln Sky-Blue Glaze Cup Stand] [Period: Northern Song Dynasty, approximately 1086–1106 AD, the peak period of Ru Kiln production]

[Origin: Qingliang Temple Ru Kiln, Baofeng, Henan; Palace ware. The cup is lost, leaving only the stand. The carved floral patterns are the same style as those in the Palace Museum collection]

[Valuation: The total number of surviving Ru Kiln pieces is less than a hundred. The reference price for a single Cup Stand is between 34.8 million and 56.5 million RMB. If its status as Official Ru ware can be traced and confirmed, its value would be immeasurable]

[Cleaning: Sky-blue glaze is extremely sensitive to temperature changes. Perform the entire cleaning in a constant temperature environment, maintaining room temperature at 20–22°C and humidity around 55%. Use cotton swabs with pure water to gently wipe salt from different areas. Any soaking is strictly prohibited. Use a single bamboo pick to gently remove grime from the carved patterns at the glaze edge. Do not perform deep cleaning inside the carved grooves]

The system information stopped there.

It had directly contributed several thousand Aura Points to Hu Tian, but compared to the tens of millions needed for an upgrade, it was just a change in the last few digits—better than nothing.

Hu Tian stood before the workbench.

He looked down at the six items on the table, scanning them again from left to right.

Two Longquan Prunus Vases, one Ding Kiln thin-walled bowl, two Yue Kiln jars, and one Ru Kiln Cup Stand.

He added up the numbers in his head once more.

Not bad; it exceeded seventy million.

He stood up, first went to the side to wash his hands, and then rearranged the tools on the workbench, putting everything back where it belonged and disinfecting what needed to be disinfected.

Then he took out a specialized cleaning toolkit from the cabinet and opened it, revealing various instruments arranged in layers.

The top layer held several dental tungsten steel picks of different specifications, their tips as fine as needles and their bodies carrying a faint metallic luster.

The second layer contained bamboo picks of various sizes, some thick and some thin, all of which he had carved himself to be very smooth.

The third layer held cotton swabs, pure water, citric acid solution, anti-vibration gloves, and a thermo-hygrometer.

He first took out the thermo-hygrometer, placed it on the edge of the workbench, and checked the numbers.

Room temperature 21°C, humidity 53%.

It met the requirements.

He started with the first item.

For the two Longquan Prunus Vases, the system's cleaning suggestion was the simplest: use a cotton swab with pure water to gently wipe the glaze and remove attached salt and light calcification layers.

Hu Tian picked up the first Prunus Vase, placed it in the center of the workbench, and turned on the desk lamp, letting the light shine directly from above.

He picked up a cotton swab, dipped it in pure water, and started from the mouth of the vase, wiping down the glaze bit by bit.

As the cotton swab passed over the glaze, it came away with a thin layer of white powdery substance—salt crystals from the seawater.

He wiped very slowly, changing to a new cotton swab for every small area he cleaned.

The glaze of the Prunus Vase gradually revealed its original color under the light—a greenish-gray tone that was steady, restrained, and unpretentious.

The carved floral patterns became clearer after being wiped clean; the lines of the Interlocking Lotuses were smooth and the carving technique was sharp.

After finishing the first Prunus Vase, he picked up the second one and repeated the same actions.

Cleaning the two Prunus Vases took nearly forty minutes.

He set them aside and picked up the Ding Kiln thin-walled bowl.

Cleaning this bowl was a bit more complicated.

The system said there was a slight calcification layer at the bottom of the bowl that needed to be soaked in citric acid solution, but the soaking time could not exceed three minutes, or it would damage the glaze.

Hu Tian took a small glass dish from the toolkit, poured in a bit of citric acid solution, and then placed the bowl upside down on the dish so the base was in contact with the solution.

He checked his watch and began timing.

The moment the solution touched the base of the bowl, a very faint sizzling sound could be heard; that was the calcification layer being dissolved.

He stood before the workbench, staring at the bowl, counting the seconds one by one.

At two minutes and forty seconds, he picked up the bowl and wiped the base clean with a cotton swab dipped in pure water.

Most of the calcification layer had been removed. He used a bamboo pick to gently pry at the remaining parts, and they all fell off.

The original appearance of the bowl's base was revealed—a white-with-green glaze so thin it was almost translucent.

He flipped the bowl over and looked at it against the light. He could see the light passing through the glaze, forming a faint halo within the walls of the bowl.

Cleaning this bowl took another half hour.

Next were the two Yue Kiln jars.

The first one was the Mise Glaze. The system said there were calcareous encrustations at the glaze runs, requiring the outer layer to be gently picked off with a tungsten steel knife and the inner layer to be treated with citric acid solution.

Hu Tian put on the anti-vibration gloves, picked up the finest tungsten steel pick, and carefully observed the body of the jar under the light.

The glaze run was at the shoulder of the jar, a 'glaze tear' that had solidified from top to bottom, its surface covered with a layer of white calcareous encrustation.

He aimed the tip of the pick at the edge of the encrustation and gently pushed down.

The moment the tip touched the encrustation, he felt a slight resistance, and then the encrustation began to flake off in small pieces.

He picked at it very slowly, stopping to check after every stroke to ensure he hadn't damaged the glaze before continuing.

After the outer encrustation was removed, he treated the inner layer with citric acid solution using the same method as the Ding Kiln bowl: soaking, timing, and wiping.