Riding the wind of rebirth

"Not only the painting core, but also the pattern of the brocade, we can now use computer jacquard technology to replicate the exact same pattern. As for the thickness of the silk thread and the density of the warp and weft used to connect the painting core, we also have new antique-imitation technology to achieve the closest degree of similarity."

"As for the paper, we'll see if the National Museum has any in stock. If so, we'll apply for it. If not, it's not a big problem. We'll choose thicker imitation Mingren Hall paper and by peeling off the layers, we can achieve the closest thickness."

"These materials are all new, but they can all achieve the greatest antique effect. As for those taken from the scroll, they can only be left in the museum's specimen library."

"George, have you ever restored such a large painting before?" asked Weng Yijun.

"Among the works that have been restored, there are indeed no works this big." Zhou Zhi said with a bit of a smile: "But there are many problems that are a hundred times more serious than this."

"But I have also framed new works by modern painters, and the scrolls are even larger than this one. Cui Ruzhuo's Lotus in the Wind during the Great Era is 20 meters long and 3 meters high. It is now on display in the Great Hall."

"Based on your personal opinion, which option do you prefer?" Weng Wange asked.

"In fact, according to our traditional mounting, there is no custom of retaining parts other than the painting core. Generally, apart from the painting core and subsequent poems and essays such as the preface and postscript, the rest are all regarded as decorations and reinforcement materials, and they must be replaced with new ones every time the painting is mounted."

"It was not until modern times, or more precisely, after the enactment of the Cultural Relics Law and the release of several legal guidelines, that mounting materials began to receive corresponding attention, because according to the law, these materials also meet the definition of 'cultural relics'."

After saying this, he gently tapped the backing of the painting "Lin Dai Wenjin and Xie An Dongshan Tu": "Although it is just a simple backing paper, it is also from the Ming Dynasty. In theory, it can also be considered a cultural relic."

After saying this, he spread his hands and said, "So no matter what kind of amendment is made, it will eventually attract criticism. Either people will say that we haven't restored it well enough, or that we have restored it too well and some cultural information has been lost. We must be mentally prepared."

"Then we must solve this problem before donating it." Weng Wange made up his mind: "Before donating it, 'Lin Dai Wenjin Xie An Dongshan Tu' was considered a private collection of the Weng family. No matter which method we use to repair it, it won't cause too much controversy. So we'll follow your suggestion and take the traditional approach to make it look like new!"

"I suggest recording the restoration process," Guan Shuning said. "This will leave evidence and avoid disputes."

"That makes sense." Weng Yijun nodded. "How long will such a repair take? Can it be done in New York?"

"Although this scroll is large, it has all the old defects and damages. It has been well preserved since the restoration in the Qing Dynasty. There are no new insect bites, blisters, damp mold or cracks. If all the materials are available, it should be able to be repaired in a few days."

"There's plenty of space here, how about we repair it here? I can call Shudu right now and ask them to ship the tools and materials over."

"You just said that the brocade pattern needs to be copied..."

"Oh, yes. We need to take a picture of this and send it to Shudu. I'm not very familiar with the specific names of the patterns of brocade, but as long as it's not kesi, we basically have replica samples of brocade after the Song Dynasty. If we're lucky, we might have some in stock." "Then contact them quickly." Weng Wange was a little excited: "Shu Ning, please help contact the TV station and ask them to record the video."

Zhou Zhi acted very quickly and received a reply from Master Yang after having lunch at Laixiju.

After hanging up the phone, Zhou Zhi said to Weng Wange, "There's news from China that the brocade used in 'Lin Dai Wenjin Xie An Dongshan Tu' is an imitation of the Song Dynasty's inverted fairy peony brocade, which is a relatively rare variety in calligraphy and painting mounting."

"It's relatively rare? So it needs to be customized?" Weng Wange couldn't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Ah? No." Zhou Zhi waved his hand quickly: "Because it is relatively rare, our Shu brocade intangible cultural heritage master Mr. Yang has never used it after copying it. It has been placed in the warehouse."

Zhou Zhi also introduced to Weng Wange the project of using ancient looms and computer jacquard technology in Shuzhong and Sanmian silk to reproduce antique silk brocade. He said, "The inverted fairy peony brocade can be shipped now, but the aging can only be done here, because the computer pictures do not have color matching cards, and they cannot guarantee that the aging quality is exactly the same as what we see with our naked eyes."

"You are all so professional now." After listening to the introduction, Weng Wange couldn't help but marvel at these peripheral projects of calligraphy and painting restoration in the country.

"As people's living standards improve, their spiritual pursuits also rise." Zhou Zhi smiled and said, "Many exquisite crafts are gradually being restored."

"There are so many Chinese people. Even if only a tiny percentage of the billion people are interested in this, it's still a lot in terms of number." Zhou Zhi listed them all: "Now not only Shudu Shujin, Nanjing Yunjin, Suzhou Songjin, Guangxi Zhuangjin, and Hangzhou Dujinsheng, as far as I know, are all being restored."

That afternoon, Zhou Zhi received a call from Feng Xueshan, saying that the things Zhou Zhi needed had been sent.

After receiving the news, Zhou Zhi began to make preparations here.

The main thing is that a large restoration room is needed, which requires a large temporary operating table and cloth-covered walls.

The largest painting, "Poems of Du Fu", is over three meters by one meter in size, so a restoration table of four meters by two meters is needed. There are plenty of such tables in the large rooms of Laixiju, so it is no problem at all.

In addition, three walls of the same size had to be stretched to dry the core of the painting. Therefore, when the filming crew that Guan Shuning hired to record the work started, they discovered that it was all carpentry work. They couldn't help but wonder, wasn't this supposed to be a calligraphy and painting restoration?

But something even more surprising happened soon. When Zhou Zhi got his things out of customs the next day, he started to set up a stove and boiled the paste with the powders that were airlifted in. (End of this chapter)