Restoring cultural relics: Starting with the crying Tang Dynasty figurines

Su Yuan didn't answer, but the old man's shadow said:

"It's good that he's gone. He's been here for so many years, he should have left long ago..."

"Yeah, yeah, it's kind of scary..."

"Master Su, when are you going to fix my little problem?"

Su Yuan looked out of the hall and said, "Let's wait two more days." He then put the mirror back in his pocket and continued to sit there staring outside.

The next day, around 9 a.m., after having breakfast at the company cafeteria, I returned to the first floor and was about to go in when Qian Weidong's car was parked at the entrance with the engine running!

Seeing Su Yuan about to enter, he rolled down the car window and called out:

"Xiao Su, Director Zhang asked me to take you to Yongle Palace. He said the things he needs are on your desk. All the materials for the ground layer repair are ready, including pig's blood, quicklime, and hemp fiber, and they're all in the car."

After listening, Su Yuan went upstairs and entered his office. Next to the toolbox on his desk were the stone and a picture of the main god.

He got it.

This is to replace the main god's position. Since the temple stele cannot be moved, this main god's position will be used instead, and the original body can stay there at will!

After Su Yuan got into the car, Qian Weidong shifted gears and drove out of the company. The two chatted casually along the way.

More than three hours later, we arrived at Yongle Palace. Old Xu was not there, but the door was open.

Su Yuan carried the daggers from his toolbox inside, while Qian Weidong followed behind carrying pig's blood and lime.

After arriving at the hall behind, Old Master Xu brought over a long bench.

This time, the three of them worked together, one soaking lime and the other moistening the wall, because the missing area of ​​the main altar was large and easy to repair!

This time the paste is much thicker than last time, and I added more hemp fiber.

Su Yuan stood on a bench in front of the empty space. He first used gelatin to brush the edge two or three times with a repair brush, and then used a scraper to apply a layer of paste to the moistened depression.

The talisman was just pasted inside!

After applying one layer, take out the stone slab of the main god, adjust its position, and press it onto the paste. Finally, use the paste to fill in the area where the main god is located with a scraper.

I applied two more coats of gelatin around it, and the whole process took just over an hour.

This is just the first step. Once it's completely dry, I'll draw the main deity on it!

They had to wait until tomorrow morning. The three of them first put away the unused materials. By the time they finished cleaning up, it was already around 3 p.m. Xu Laodao and Qian Weidong cooked rice and two large dishes.

Around 4 PM, the three of them sat at the stone table under the tree and ate. Old Master Xu and Qian Wei chatted happily, while Su Yuan rarely interrupted.

The two of them didn't engage in much conversation with him...

After finishing his meal, Su Yuan went to the room he had stayed in last time, holding the picture of the main god and composing ideas in his mind.

Around seven o'clock the next day, Master Xu made porridge, steamed buns, and pickled vegetables.

After preparing the tools and paints, Su Yuan took a bowl of porridge, grabbed the smallest steamed bun, and quickly finished it with some pickled vegetables.

Old Master Xu couldn't help Qian Weidong this time, and Qian Weidong said to Su Yuan:

"Xiao Su, you'll have to finish the rest yourself. We'll just eat slowly, okay?"

Su Yuan nodded and carried the things to the main hall.

First, I found three thin sticks that were taller than a person and made a simple stand to fix the picture of the main god in a suitable position!

I placed the paints, brushes, and repair brushes that I had sorted out in the toolbox last night to the side of the bench.

There's a small table about half a person's height in the yard. Let's move it over to put the paints there. All set.

The photo of the simple support frame is a black and white photo from 1987.

The chief god stood amidst the clouds, adorned in a crown and bearing a long beard, his eyes lowered, holding a jade tablet in his hand. Its original color was obscured, but Su Yuan knew exactly what it was!

He started by mixing the smallest color, azurite, using powdered azurite, adding gelatin and water. After stirring it a dozen times, it thickened, so he added a few drops of water.

The malachite green is a shade lighter than azurite, and a touch of clam shell powder is added to brighten it.

The cinnabar was soaked in hot water, so the color wasn't orange but a true red. Half a drop of gelatin was added when mixing it to prevent it from turning black after drying.

Ochre is pyrite-oxidized hematite, with a slightly earthy yellow hue. When mixed, it produces a warm brown color, which is used to create an antique look!

The face of the main deity should be primed with ochre, then after it dries, a layer of light vermilion should be applied, and finally, clam powder should be used to brighten the forehead and bridge of the nose.

Su Yuan used the same small wolf-hair brush that Xie He used; the tip was fine and didn't absorb much water, so he would dip the brush in water after each stroke.

I began to paint, the first stroke landing on the center of my brow, a light ochre color that was almost invisible once dry!

The second stroke is heavier, following the curve of the brow bone downwards. The third stroke connects the two strokes, and the transition area is blended with water to avoid leaving any brush marks.

My hand started to ache when I drew the seventeenth stroke.

He put down his pen, stepped back, and looked at it. The face shape was there, the eyebrows and eyes were in the right place, but the color was too new; compared to the old mural next to it, it looked like a patch!

He took a dry cloth, dipped it in some fine soil, and rubbed it a few times on the areas where the paint hadn't completely dried.

The soil was from the Yongle Palace courtyard. It was dried and crushed, and when it was applied, the new color immediately looked old and blended into the surrounding wall paint.

Next was the imperial robe. The patterns were no longer visible in the photo, but Su Yuan had seen them on other murals!

The twelve symbols—sun, moon, stars, mountains, dragons, and pheasants—are displayed one by one.

He used cinnabar to outline the sun, malachite green to dot the stars, and azurite to draw the mountains. He used clam shell powder as a base for the worm, and after it dried, he covered it with a layer of light ochre.

When I got to the dragon pattern, my hand trembled slightly, and the tail was a little crooked!

He wiped it off with a damp cloth, waited for it to dry, and then redrawn it. This time, he drew it in one steady stroke, with the dragon's body curved in two places and its head pointing upwards, as if it were flying into the sky.

The jade tablet was made by mixing azurite with clam powder to create a light blue color, one shade lighter than the sky.

Two incised lines were drawn on the body of the jade tablet, with the middle section bulging out and the edges straight. After drawing, ochre was rubbed along the edges to create a worn effect!

Finally, there are the clouds. The clouds don't need to be outlined; just use malachite green mixed with a lot of water, making it as diluted as ink used to wash brushes, and apply it layer by layer to the ground under your feet.

One layer was applied, then another was applied after it dried, and seven layers were applied in total before the clouds gained a sense of thickness, like clumps of cotton piled up there, supporting the feet of the supreme deity.

Su Yuan retreated to the entrance of the hall and looked at the entire wall.

The main deity stands amidst clouds, adorned in a crown and long beard, his eyes lowered, holding a jade tablet in his hand. Compared to the older murals beside him, the colors appear somewhat newer!

You can't tell unless you look closely. He took a dry cloth and rubbed it a few more times, darkening the highlights and brightening the shadows.

That's good enough. It was almost 2 p.m. when Su Yuan finished drawing. Time really flies when you get focused!

Qian Weidong and Xu Laodao were watching from a distance, afraid of disturbing Su Yuan if they got too close. When they saw him start packing his things, they quickly came over to help him pack.

The two approached and examined the main altar, marveling at it. Old Master Xu said:

"Master Su's skill is truly the result of years of dedicated practice!"

Qian Weidong also praised her repeatedly: "Xiao Su, you're amazing!"

As he spoke, Su Yuan gave a thumbs-up, rubbed his wrist, and smiled, not thinking he was anything special.

Wash the pens clean, tidy up the toolbox, and carefully put away the photo of the deity.

The area below the main god had been cleaned up by Old Taoist Xu and Qian Weidong. Su Yuan walked to the door and compared it again.

Find!