Rebirth 93: Break off the engagement at the beginning and marry Bai Fumei

Remember when Lao Wei boasted about Song Huizong's eagle picture to his guests just now? There were two scrolls in the box. After Old Wei took out the Eagle Picture, another guest took out another scroll. He just opened it and looked at it briefly before putting it back. Chen Yang was beside him at the time. , after the man unfolded the scroll, Chen Yang glanced at it a few times, and there were a few light leaks on the tapestry painting. At this glance, Chen Yang concluded that it was a

Kesi, also known as "carved silk", is the essence of traditional Chinese silk art. Kesi is not actually carved with a knife. It is a kind of silk that uses raw silk as the warp and colored cooked silk as the weft. A plain weave fabric woven by cutting the warp and breaking the weft.

The wefts are woven according to the pre-drawn pattern and do not run through the entire width. Multiple small shuttles are used to dig and weave according to the pattern and color, so that there are some breaks between the pattern and the plain ground, and the color and the color on the fabric, which is similar to the image carved by a knife. This is the so-called The weaving method of "opening the warp and breaking the weft" is a kind of silk handicraft with colorful warp and weft showing the pattern and forming the border of the pattern. It has the effect of carving and is rich in double-sided three-dimensionality. The ancients described Kesi as "carrying the sky". It’s like a carved image.”

The emergence of Kesi silk crafts in ancient my country was no later than the 7th century, but Kesi silk's real entry into the art field began in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Influenced by the paintings of the court, Kesi silk began to copy famous people's calligraphy and paintings as its specialty. "The beauty of the painting and the length of the calligraphy and ink" may even reach the state of being "better than the original".

Through the Yuan and Ming dynasties, all fine works were handed down. By the Qianlong dynasty of the Qing Dynasty, with the prosperity of the world, the development of Kesi art reached another peak after the Song Dynasty. At that time, Kesi artworks were woven in large quantities and were included in the royal calligraphy and painting records. Flowers, birds, grass and insects, landscapes, character stories, auspicious patterns, poems, calligraphy, Buddhist statues and Sanskrit scriptures were all exquisite and beautiful.

There is an ancient saying that "an inch of tapestry is an inch of gold". In ancient my country, tapestry was considered the most noble variety of silk weaving. It has always been a royal treasure and one of the top luxury goods in my country.

Someone may ask, what exactly is Kesi? embroidery? Tapestry? Similar to cross-stitch in later generations? It is none of these. You can simply understand that its essence is just weaving, and it directly weaves a painting while weaving.

Embroidery is a general term for various decorative patterns embroidered on fabrics by pointer threads. Therefore, embroidery must have a ready-made base material. The finished pattern and base color are superimposed, while the pattern and base color of tapestry are embedded and interwoven, completely on a flat surface.

It is also different from brocade. Brocade and tapestry are hand-woven silk jacquard fabrics with the same origin. Generally, brocade adopts the weaving method of "through warp and through weft". The weft threads run through the entire frame, with clear patterns on the front and one thread on the back. With floating weft, the pattern is messy, the fabric is thick, and the wool cannot be cut. The number of shuttles in the weft direction of brocade is limited, so the richness of the pattern and color is not as rich as that of tapestry silk.

Because of Kesi's unique weaving method of open warp and broken weft, the weft yarns are weaved in succession and are discontinuous. Through light, you can see that the Kesi fabric has transparent seams and small holes, which is similar to the effect of hollow carvings in sculptures. So when the man next to him opened it just now, Chen Yang could see it at a glance. Otherwise, he would not be sure to make this bet with Mr. Luo!

"You said it was true? I said it was false!" Mr. Luo looked unconvinced and glared at Chen Yang and shouted.

After listening to Mr. Luo, Song Qingyun laughed loudly beside him. Jiang Yumei looked down at the tapestry picture and asked him coldly, "If you don't know what tapestry is, just stand aside and watch for a while, don't say anything." !”

Song Qingyun patted Mr. Luo on the shoulder and said, "Master Luo, Kesi silk does not distinguish between genuine and fake, only good and bad!"

"Without distinguishing authenticity?" Mr. Luo was stunned after hearing this. Are there any antiques that don't distinguish authenticity?

Song Qingyun nodded. First of all, tapestry must use real silk. Usually, thinner raw silk is used as the warp, that is, vertically, and soft colored cooked silk is used as the weft (horizontally) to express rich patterns and colors; vertically, The warp threads penetrate the entire width of the fabric, and the horizontally colored weft threads are only interlaced with the warp threads according to the pattern, and do not run through the entire fabric. To put it simply, if you change one color according to the pattern, you need to change the shuttle of the same color.

"Master Luo, let me tell you this, tapestry work is the most delicate. It is not only used for the emperor's dragon robes, but can also be used to weave many calligraphy and painting works. The most difficult of them is calligraphy and painting." Song Qingyun said to Master Luo next to him Therefore, weavers must not only have good technical skills, but also have extremely high artistic understanding.

In the process of weaving, not only the perfect pattern must be presented, but also the details must be presented. "For example, for a word, not only must the words be woven, but also the author's strokes, strength, habits, etc. must be paid attention to. In this way Let me tell you, the inscriptions under the calligraphy and paintings we see, even the red seals, must be clearly displayed. "

"It is extremely difficult to weave this kind of seal. Usually you have to divide a piece of silk into four or five parts and weave it bit by bit. When weaving, one more thread may destroy the beauty of the picture."

Chen Yang listened to Song Qingyun saying that this master is a master. He can tell what is going on at a glance when he puts something in front of him. As Song Qingyun said, tapestry is easy to learn but difficult to master. A mature tapestry craftsman must first withstand loneliness. A woman can wear only one garment at the end of her life. The boredom and loneliness of alternating cold and heat can only be experienced by craftsmen. A heart dedicated to art, quietly passing through the passing years.

As far as I know, Suzhou Kesi painting is also known as the four major weavings in my country along with Hangzhou silk weaving painting, Yongchun paper weaving painting and Sichuan bamboo curtain painting. In 2006, Suzhou's tapestry weaving skills were selected into the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage lists; tapestry was also selected into the world's intangible cultural heritage as my country's sericulture silk weaving skills.

According to statistics in 2023, there are only more than 300 registered tapestry masters in the country, almost all of whom are over 50 years old. Their eyes are dazzled and there are fewer and fewer people who can weave. The technology of tapestry is also facing being lost. This situation can't help but make people feel regretful. After all, young people are learning less and less. Which young person can endure loneliness and sit in front of the loom every day for a whole day, but can only complete a few centimeters and a few millimeters?

"Ah!" Mr. Luo was shocked after hearing this. How could such a thing be so complicated? Some looked at Song Qingyun in disbelief, then at Jiang Yumei, "Mr. Jiang, is that right?"

Jiang Yumei nodded, "To put it simply, a mature silk weaver in the royal family can weave a few centimeters in a day. If he encounters complex patterns and can weave a few millimeters in a day, he is a master!"

"Master Luo, let's not say whether this tapestry picture is real or fake. You know that in the summer, we sell the kind of gauze round fans on the streets. If you go to Suzhou and buy a pair of tapestry fans, you need it now. How much?" Song Qingyun asked Mr. Luo.

Mr. Luo shook his head and said that he didn't know. That kind of fan seemed to only cost one or two yuan in Jiangcheng. If it was made of tapestry, it would cost more than ten yuan, right?

Song Qingyun stretched out a finger, "Small and cheap ones, six hundred, slightly better ones, those that catch your eye, one thousand yuan!"

"How much?" Mr. Luo almost jumped up after hearing this. A fan costs thousands of yuan!

"No, even if it's time-consuming, it's just pure silk. I can understand if it sells for hundreds. Thousands of dollars? President Song, is that a bit ridiculous?"

"That's why the quality of the tapestry is not distinguished from the authenticity!" Song Qingyun smiled and spread his hands, "Looking at the craftsmanship of the tapestry weavers, it is said that some people can show two different patterns on the tapestry fabric. This It’s called two sides with different flowers.”

"Then there is the use of silk. The simplest thing is, for example, when weaving a dragon robe, gold, silver, peacock silk and other precious materials need to be added. Can the value be the same?"

After listening to this, Mr. Luo touched his bald head back and forth with his hands. He never expected that there were so many explanations in this thing, and it made his head hurt.

Jiang Yumei threw the magnifying glass to the side, "Not to mention the distance, this tapestry painting of the Three Saints of Huayan, even if it is woven today, is extremely valuable. I estimate that no one would sell it for less than 100,000. So, this kind of thing is fake. , it’s time-consuming, labor-intensive, and it doesn’t cost money, so there’s no point in cheating.”

After finishing speaking, Jiang Yumei glanced at Chen Yang. When did this kid notice this thing? "What's more, this is really made by Ruyi Guan, so it's even more valuable!"

With Jiang Yumei's confirmation, Mr. Luo also knew that this item was definitely authentic. After all, Ruyiguan himself knew it.

Ruyi Pavilion was founded by Emperor Kangxi. At that time, it mainly studied the scientific and technological achievements of Western society. After its completion, it became an institution dedicated to painting for the Qing royal family. Ruyi Pavilion is located in the northeast of the "deep cave" on the east side of Fuyuan Gate of Yuanmingyuan. There are four major craftsmen in it, namely painters, jade craftsmen, toothsmiths and framers, also known as Chengchai and Guanjiang.

But at that time, the Palace Painting Academy and the Ruyi Pavilion each had their own affiliations. Later, under the adjustment of Emperor Qianlong, they became complementary units. In the 27th year of Qianlong's reign, the famous palace paintings were unified under the management of Ruyi Pavilion. The most popular painter was the foreign minister Lang Shining. There were also other master painters such as Yu Zhiding, Jiao Bingzhen, Dai Heng, Zou Wenyu, Tang Dai, He Jinkun, and Song Sanji. , Jiao Guoyu, Ai Qimeng and Ding Guanpeng, etc. Under the permission and care of Emperor Qianlong, court painting reached its peak during the Qianlong period.

"Ouch, what kind of bad luck have I had in my life!" A shout suddenly came from the crowd, and Old Wei stamped his feet fiercely, with a look of remorse on his face, "I...I'm all over the place The things I bought were all purchased from Mr. Luo. This thing was picked up from the junk pile for more than a year. It looks like paper or paper. I even saw the two sons of Qianlong. I thought it was a modern object, but I didn’t expect..."

"Oh, my life..." Lao Wei looked crying and looked up at Chen Yang who was sitting on the chair, "Boss Chen, how about you give me some more?"

"Haha!" Chen Yang raised his head and laughed loudly, reaching out to pick up a porcelain jar from the ground, "I didn't pick up your leak in vain, I will teach you a lesson in vain today!"

As he spoke, Chen Yang pointed to the porcelain jar in his hand, gesturing for everyone to take a look at the jar. The glaze was matte, the bottom was old, the paint was even lost on the body, and stubble fell off the mouth of the jar, "It looks very good." It’s old, but it’s actually fake.”

I used acid on the jar and then removed some of the color, but the cracks on the mouth of the jar were still smashed in. The purpose of the forger was to make the jar look old. If you don't think it's real, but someone thinks it's real, there will always be a time when it's sold.

“Mark my words today, fakes often look real, and real things often look fake!”