172: Chapter 172 Ru Kiln

Professor Ma Yunhe pondered for a moment, his face regaining some of his usual composure, and said to Hu Tian, "This young brother Hu Tian speaks so logically and clearly; it really makes us old antiques feel ashamed."

Hu Tian just smiled faintly, didn't reply, lowered his head, and cast his gaze back to the small Famille Rose covered bowl on the table.

That warm, amber halo still quietly covered the bowl, steady and serene, as if silently confirming its own significance.

Just as Hu Tian was exchanging some hidden information about the three items with Elder Qin and the two professors, Shen Huairen, standing in the back row, rolled his eyes slightly and let his gaze linger on Hu Tian for a moment.

Then, as if remembering something, he suddenly spoke up, "By the way, Elder Qin, Professor Ma, Professor Lin, today at Panjiayuan Antique Market, I personally saw young brother Hu Tian acquire a good item."

His words were abrupt, but his tone carried a deliberate lightness, as if he were just making small talk, or perhaps intentionally bringing up a topic.

Elder Qin was holding his teacup; hearing this, he looked up and asked with a smile, "Oh? What good item?"

Shen Huairen smiled, turned to the side, swept his gaze over the black backpack Hu Tian had placed on the table next to him, and said slowly, "A porcelain bowl. According to brother Hu, it's from the Ru Kiln, and was fired using some kind of sesame-seed-nail firing method. I thought it was rare when I heard it; this sesame-seed-nail firing isn't a technique that just any kiln can use."

As soon as he said this, the atmosphere in the room changed subtly.

The teacup in Elder Qin's hand paused in mid-air, his brows arched slightly, and his gaze immediately fell on the backpack beside Hu Tian.

Professor Ma Yunhe had been wiping the magnifying glass in his hand, but upon hearing the words "sesame-seed-nail firing," his movements noticeably paused, and he immediately looked up, a flash of undisguised interest in his eyes.

Professor Lin even put down her teacup directly, leaned forward slightly, and stared at the backpack, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something, but she restrained herself.

Sesame-seed-nail firing—these words are almost synonymous with the Ru Kiln in the field of ancient porcelain appraisal.

As the head of the five great kilns of the song dynasty, the Ru Kiln has very few extant pieces, and each one is a national treasure of inestimable value.

And sesame-seed-nail firing is the most unique firing technique feature of the Ru Kiln—the bottom of the vessel is supported by extremely tiny spurs, leaving marks as small as sesame seeds after firing.

This technique is extremely rare in song dynasty porcelain, used almost exclusively for Ru Kiln Official Kiln wares, and has been lost since the Northern song dynasty.

Nowadays, unless one is a veteran ancient porcelain appraiser, few would easily mention this term.

Seeing that the gazes of the seniors were all drawn over, Shen Huairen's lips curled into an almost imperceptible arc as he continued, "Back at the coffee shop in Panjiayuan Antique Market, young brother Hu Tian said in front of quite a few people that the bowl was a genuine Ru Kiln piece, and even specifically mentioned the sesame-seed-nail firing. I thought at the time, if this is real, that would be incredible. Since Elder Qin and the two professors are all here today, why not let everyone take a look?"

His words were polite, but the meaning was clear—he wanted Hu Tian to take out the bowl for everyone to see, while also implying that Hu Tian's previous words at Panjiayuan Antique Market might have been an exaggeration.

After all, how could a genuine Ru Kiln piece be so easily acquired at a street stall in Panjiayuan Antique Market?

After hearing what Shen Huairen had to say, Hu Tian understood the other party's intention: he wanted to use the hands of Elder Qin and the two professors to test him, or perhaps even make him embarrass himself in front of everyone.

Hu Tian looked up, cast a calm glance at Shen Huairen, said nothing, and just smiled faintly.

Elder Qin had already put down his teacup by this time, his gaze shifting back and forth between Hu Tian and the backpack, and after a moment, he said slowly, "Little Hu, is what Xiao Shen said true?"

He asked directly; there was no questioning or blind belief in his tone, but rather more of an elder's concern and curiosity toward a junior.

Hu Tian was silent for two seconds, then nodded and said calmly, "I did indeed acquire a bowl at Panjiayuan Antique Market. I've examined it myself and believe it is a Ru Kiln piece; it has sesame-seed-nail marks on the bottom, and the glaze color matches the characteristics of the Ru Kiln."

His words were reasonable and well-founded, neither boastful nor appearing guilty due to Shen Huairen's provocation.

Professor Ma Yunhe couldn't help but speak up upon hearing this, "Little Hu, if it's convenient, could you let us have a look?"

He spoke very politely, but the eagerness in his tone could not be concealed.

For any researcher or collector of ancient porcelain, a genuine Ru Kiln piece is a treasure that is impossible to come by; even just a glance is a rare opportunity.

Professor Ma and Prof. Lin Ru were also nodding on the side, their burning gazes fixed on Hu Tian.

Hu Tian pondered for a moment, then stood up, walked over to the table, picked up the black backpack, and placed it on his lap.

He unzipped it and carefully took out an object wrapped in soft cloth.

His movements were very gentle, as if he were treating something extremely precious.

The soft cloth was unfolded layer by layer, revealing the small, slightly chipped porcelain bowl inside.

The bowl was not large, its entire body displaying a warm, celestial blue color, the glaze smooth as jade, emitting a soft luster.

Under the light, that layer of glaze seemed to flow, carrying an indescribable sense of liveliness.

The rim of the bowl flared slightly, the lines were smooth and natural, and the shape was dignified and beautiful; without a trace of superfluous decoration, it exuded an ultimate, minimalist beauty.

Hu Tian gently placed the bowl on the velvet cloth on the table, stepped back half a step, and said nothing.

The room fell silent instantly.

Elder Qin, Professor Ma Yunhe, and Prof. Lin Ru stood up almost simultaneously, gathered around the table, and their gazes fell in unison upon the small bowl.

The three of them surrounded the little bowl, and no one was in a hurry to speak.

Elder Qin bent down, brought his face closer, and his gaze wandered slowly over the bowl, from the rim to the belly, and then to the base, not letting a single detail escape.

Professor Ma Yunhe reached out to pick up the magnifying glass and carefully observed the glaze on the rim of the bowl, his brows furrowing and relaxing from time to time.

Prof. Lin Ru stood to the side, hands behind her back, her gaze calm, occasionally nodding slightly, as if confirming some judgment in her heart.

The three of them circled the little bowl like this several times, no one speaking during that time; the entire room was so quiet that only each other's breathing could be heard.

According to established custom, Elder Qin, as the most senior person present, was the first to handle it.

After carefully putting on gloves, he gingerly lifted the little bowl from the table, supporting the bottom of the bowl with both hands, his thumbs gently stroking the sesame-seed-nail marks on the base, his focus so intense that it seemed as if only this bowl remained in the entire world.

He raised the bowl to his eyes and examined it carefully against the light; the glaze emitted a soft luster under the light, and that warm, jade-like texture caused a flash of amazement to cross his eyes.

A moment later, Elder Qin gently placed the bowl back on the table, said nothing, and just nodded slightly, signaling Professor Ma Yunhe to take a look next.

Professor Ma Yunhe lifted the bowl from the table, his movements equally careful.

He first used his finger to gently tap the wall of the bowl, listening intently to the crisp, lingering sound, and then turned the bowl over to carefully observe the spur marks on the base.

Those three tiny sesame-seed-nail marks were arranged neatly, the marks clear, with the surrounding glaze transitioning naturally, without any trace of artificial aging.

Professor Ma Yunhe's breathing became somewhat rapid; he was clearly stunned by the condition of this bowl.

He looked at it for a full five minutes before reluctantly placing the bowl back on the table.

Prof. Lin Ru stepped forward, lifted the bowl from the table, let her gaze linger on the bowl for a moment, and then brought the bowl close to her nose and sniffed it gently.

This is a not-so-common but very effective method for appraising ancient porcelain—genuine ancient porcelain, after being buried and oxidized for hundreds of years, will carry a special earthy or kiln-fire scent, and modern imitations, no matter how clever the aging techniques, are very difficult to fully mimic this scent.

Prof. Lin Ru closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and opened them a moment later, a look of certainty flashing in her eyes.

She placed the bowl back on the table, gently smoothed out the soft cloth at the bottom, and then straightened up.

The three looked at each other, their eyes filled with an undisguised sense of shock and excitement.

Immediately, six eyes turned in unison toward Hu Tian, landing on his face.

Elder Qin was silent for a moment, then said slowly, "Little Hu, how did you determine that this bowl is from the Ru Kiln? Can you tell us your reasoning?"

He asked directly; there was no questioning in his tone, but he also didn't jump to conclusions, displaying more of an attitude of seeking verification.

Professor Ma Yunhe and Prof. Lin Ru also nodded on the side, clearly wanting to hear what Hu Tian had to say.

Although the three of them were inclined to believe that this bowl was a genuine Ru Kiln piece, after all, very few Ru Kiln pieces have been handed down, and each one is a national treasure, so they were a bit unsure and dared not jump to conclusions easily.

Seeing this, all three wanted to hear Hu Tian's perspective to see exactly what this young man had based his judgment on to determine that the bowl was from the Ru Kiln.

Upon hearing Elder Qin's question, Hu Tian's expression remained calm, and he did not show the slightest bit of stage fright.

He walked to the table, his gaze falling on the little bowl, pondered for a moment, and then said, "I judged this bowl to be from the Ru Kiln primarily based on the following aspects."

"First, looking at the shape."

Hu Tian reached out and pointed to the rim of the bowl, "This bowl has a diameter of about twelve centimeters and a height of about five centimeters. The shape is dignified and beautiful, with the rim slightly flared, the belly round and full, and the base neat. The overall lines are smooth and natural, without a hint of clumsiness. This shape conforms to the typical characteristics of the Northern Song Ru Kiln—pursuing the ultimate minimalist and natural beauty, without excessive carving, yet exuding craftsmanship in every detail."

Elder Qin nodded slightly, signaling him to continue.

Hu Tian continued, "Secondly, looking at the glaze color."

He pointed to the body of the bowl, "This bowl is entirely celestial blue, the glaze warm and jade-like, the luster soft and restrained—not dazzling or ostentatious—possessing the artistic conception of 'the sky after rain, when the clouds break.' This glaze color is one of the most typical characteristics of the Ru Kiln. The celestial blue glaze of the Ru Kiln was fired using agate in the glaze; the glaze layer is relatively thick, and the surface has a jade-like quality, presenting a slight milky turbidity under the light, which is something other kilns find very difficult to imitate."

Professor Ma Yunhe's eyes flashed with approval upon hearing this, clearly agreeing with Hu Tian's words.

Hu Tian continued, "Thirdly, looking at the crackle patterns on the glaze."