in2ebook Chapter 573 Craftsmanship and Responsibility
Chapter 573 Craftsmanship and Responsibility
The invitation to the Provincial Intangible Cultural Heritage Creative Products Expo energized everyone in Qinglongpo. Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan were busy organizing their research findings, Ling Jiu'er was selecting creative products, and Chen Gongjiang and Lin Xiao were focused on firing a batch of exquisite celadon, preparing to showcase the core techniques of Qingning Kiln at the Expo.
Just then, the provincial TV station's "Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors" program team contacted them, wanting to film a documentary on Qingning Kiln, to record the stories of archaeology and porcelain making inheritance through the lens.
"The Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritors is the most influential cultural program in the province, and its strength should not be underestimated!"
Pei Luochuan paced back and forth excitedly, holding the filming plan sent by the program team. "Now Qingning Kiln is going to become famous, and our research and cultural creation will definitely reach a new level."
Gu Fanxing carefully reviewed the shooting plan, her brows furrowing slightly.
"The plan says to film the actual archaeological excavation and traditional kiln firing process, but our current archaeological site is mainly focused on cleaning and protection, without large-scale excavation; traditional wood firing has extremely high requirements for the temperature, what if an accident occurs during filming and affects the firing effect?"
The program's director, Wang Lei, personally visited Qinglongpo to conduct on-site research. After listening to Gu Fanxing's concerns, he smiled and said, "Teacher Gu, what we want is authenticity; we don't need to deliberately arrange 'dramatic' plots."
Archaeological work can include filming the daily cleaning, restoration, and identification of pottery shards; these details better reflect the dedication of archaeologists.
We can wait for the right time to fire the kiln, and even if problems arise during the process, as long as it showcases the craftsman's resilience and perseverance, it is the best material.
Wang Lei's words dispelled Gu Fanxing's concerns.
Pei Luonan added, "We can combine documentary filming with the opening of the kiln. This time, Master Chen will use the Song Dynasty's 'wood-firing' technique, which relies solely on burning pine wood to raise the temperature. The resulting celadon glaze is warm and lustrous, with natural kiln-transformation patterns, which better reflects the traditional techniques of Qingning Kiln."
Craftsman Chen stroked a piece of fine clay: "Firing with wood requires 24-hour monitoring of the kiln. The amount of pine wood added must be adjusted according to the temperature inside the kiln, and there can be no carelessness. But the celadon fired using this technique is the most authentic flavor of Qingning Kiln."
Filming began quickly, with camera lenses capturing every moment of Qinglongpo.
Early in the morning, Gu Fanxing and Ling Jiu'er, dressed in their school uniforms, were cleaning pottery shards at the archaeological site.
In the morning, craftsman Chen taught Lin Xiao how to throw a potter's wheel. In the afternoon, the children at the study camp made cultural and creative products with Su Ya. In the evening, Pei Luonan and the villagers moved pine logs together.
On the fifth day of filming, an accident occurred. While cleaning a corner of the artisans' living quarters, archaeological workers discovered a fragment of celadon embedded in the soil. Its edges were neat, suggesting it was part of a complete artifact.
After receiving the message, Gu Fanxing, Ling Jiu'er, and Zhou Ming rushed to the scene with tools: "Be careful, use a soft brush to clean it slowly, and don't break the pieces."
As the soil was gradually cleared away, the outline of the fragments became clearer—it turned out to be the body of a Song Dynasty celadon ewer, with a complete lotus scroll pattern still intact, a warm and lustrous glaze, and excellent condition.
"This is the most complete Song Dynasty artifact component we have discovered since the beginning of our excavation!" Gu Fanxing couldn't contain his excitement. "If we can find the lid and spout, we might be able to reconstruct a complete Song Dynasty ewer, which would be of great significance for the study of Song Dynasty porcelain-making techniques at Qingning Kiln."
Wang Lei immediately adjusted the filming plan, increasing the tracking and filming of this fragment.
Gu Fanxing and the other two measured and identified the fragments as a fine piece from the mid-Song Dynasty. They then expanded the search area, but found no more related parts, leaving Gu Fanxing somewhat disappointed.
Pei Luonan comforted him, saying, "Archaeology is full of unknowns. This half of the pot is already an important discovery, which can help us to better understand the level of porcelain making in the Song Dynasty."
Craftsman Chen suggested, "I can restore the ewer based on the texture and size of the fragments. Although it is not the original, it can still let everyone see the craftsmanship of the Qingning Kiln in the Song Dynasty."
Gu Fanxing's eyes lit up, and she decided to incorporate the restoration process into the documentary filming.
Over the next few days, craftsman Chen devoted himself entirely to the task, with Lin Xiao assisting him and occasionally asking for his advice on carving techniques. "Carving a lotus scroll pattern requires a steady wrist, and the lines must be drawn in one continuous stroke without any breaks," craftsman Chen demonstrated, holding his carving knife. "That's how Song Dynasty potters did it, infusing their love for life into the patterns on their wares."
Just as the restoration of the teapot was progressing smoothly, a sudden problem occurred in the wood-fired kiln.
The kiln temperature, which was originally stable at 1300°C, dropped to 1100°C overnight.
Craftsman Chen rushed to the kiln, his face grave: "This is bad. The kiln door seal is old and damaged, and heat is leaking out. The temperature won't rise, and the celadon inside may fail to fire."
"Replacing the sealing strip will take time. The temperature inside the kiln has already dropped, and even if we replace it, it will be difficult to restore the previous temperature," Kong Haoyu said anxiously.
Wang Lei's camera lens was pointed at the crowd around the kiln, recording this tense moment.
Gu Fanxing suddenly recalled the methods used by Song Dynasty kiln workers to deal with kiln temperature fluctuations in archaeological data: "Master Chen, did Song Dynasty kiln workers control the temperature by adjusting the amount and dryness of the pine wood? Perhaps we could increase the density of dry pine wood and use wet pine wood to regulate the humidity inside the kiln, and see if we could raise the temperature."
Master Chen's eyes lit up: "That's right! How could I forget this old method?"
Everyone immediately took action, and Pei Luonan and the villagers went up the mountain to cut down fresh pine trees.
Gu Fanxing and Lin Xiao soaked some of the pine wood in water to make wet pine wood.
Master Chen stood guard by the kiln, measuring the temperature and adjusting the feed volume.
In the dead of night, the kiln fire in Qinglongpo illuminates half the sky.
Everyone took turns guarding the kiln, dropping loose wood and measuring the temperature, not daring to slack off in the slightest.
"The temperature has risen to 1150°C!" Lin Xiao exclaimed excitedly as he looked at the thermometer.
"Keep adding the wet pine wood, keep the pace," Master Chen instructed.
After a night of hard work, the kiln temperature finally recovered to 1300°C and stabilized. Master Chen breathed a sigh of relief: "It's finally stable, thanks to Fanxing's reminder."
A week later, the restoration of the ewer was successfully completed. When the complete Song Dynasty-style celadon ewer was placed before everyone, they were all amazed.
Meanwhile, the day arrived for the wood-fired kiln to be opened. Everyone gathered around the kiln, eagerly awaiting the firing results.
The moment Master Chen opened the kiln door, the celadon inside gleamed with a warm luster under the firelight.
"We did it!" Lin Xiao shouted excitedly.
Everyone carefully took the celadon pieces out of the kiln and placed them on the display stand: the celadon bowls had a uniform glaze, and the celadon vases had smooth lines; each piece was a work of art.
Director Wang Lei raised his camera and captured this exciting moment. "The story of Qingning Kiln contains the perseverance of archaeologists, the dedication of artisans, the power of inheritance, and the warmth between people. This documentary will surely make more people fall in love with intangible cultural heritage and traditional culture."
As filming was nearing its end, Aunt Zhang approached Gu Fanxing: "Fanxing, I see your cultural and creative products are selling so well. Could you apply for intangible cultural heritage status for my osmanthus cake?"
Gu Fanxing smiled and nodded: "Of course! Aunt Zhang, your osmanthus cake carries the memories and emotions of the villagers, which is in line with the significance of intangible cultural heritage. We can help you prepare the application materials and include the osmanthus cake in the cultural and creative product series, and display it together at the expo."
Tears welled up in Aunt Zhang's eyes: "That's wonderful! My skills can finally be known by more people."
Under the setting sun, the kiln fires in Qinglongpo still shone brightly, and the fragrance of osmanthus blossoms filled the air.
Although the filming of the documentary encountered many unexpected events, it was precisely these unexpected events that made the story more real and moving.
Gu Fanxing and Pei Luonan knew that this documentary was not only a promotion of Qingning Kiln, but also a tribute to all intangible cultural heritage inheritors. The upcoming cultural and creative expo would be a new stage for them to showcase their achievements and explore the future, and their journey would never stop.