英文版：中国民间元青花象耳瓶真伪考辨

河東居士——聶國华

Textual Research on the Authenticity of Yuan Dynasty Blue - and - White Elephant - Eared Vases in Chinese Folk Collections

This is a research manuscript on Yuan blue and white porcelain that took 20 years to complete. The manuscript contains over 10,000 words and 42 pictures, and it takes approximately 30 - 50 minutes to read.

Keywords:

Percival David, Pope, Hobson, Yuan blue and white porcelain, elephant - ear vases, Jingdezhen, Iranian Yuan blue and white porcelain, Yuan blue and white porcelain in the Topkapi Palace, blue and white porcelain, the 11th year of Zhizheng (1351 AD), David Vases, Su-Ma-Li-Qing cobalt, Macang clay, Chinese folk elephant - ear vases.

Abstract:

In October 2003, I was fortunate enough to collect a Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vase with cloud - dragon patterns (67.1 cm in height) dating back to the 11th year of Zhizheng (1351 AD) in Macheng City, Huanggang, Hubei Province. Although I knew the provenance of the collection was reliable, I still dedicated a vast amount of time to an in - depth 20 - year study and verification of the vase's body, glaze, Su - Ma - Li - Qing cobalt, technological features, natural aging marks, 62 - character inscriptions, painting style, and layout. I am certain that this is an authentic Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vase that has been passed down for over 600 years.

I firmly believe that this vase holds the secrets of history. It is a bright pearl in the vast ocean of Chinese porcelain, waiting for experts, scholars, or scientific and technological testing to decipher it. I believe that one day, it will definitely be an authentic Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vase that shocks the world's cultural relics community and will become another reference for the Zhizheng - type Yuan blue and white porcelain.

Reading Key Points (Contents of This Manuscript)

I、 Introduction

II、The Historical Traces Left by My Elephant - Ear Vase on Online Platforms in the Past Nearly 20 Years

III、 Physical Appearances and Interpretations of the Whole Vase, Mouth, Foot, and Inner Cavity of This Elephant - Ear Vase

IV、Physical Appearances and Interpretations of the Formation Mechanism of Su - Ma - Li - Qing on This Elephant - Ear Vase

V、 To Study Yuan Blue and White Porcelain, One Must Understand a Basic Fact: In 2010, Counterfeiters Accidentally Obtained the Original Cobalt Ore from Iran, Su - Ma - Li - Qing, through the Chinese Textile Industry

VI、 Comparison, Analysis, and Interpretation of This Elephant - Ear Vase with the Yuan Blue and White Plate with the Character 'Spring' in the National Museum of Iran, the Xuande Zun in the Nanjing Museum, the Four - Love Plum Vase in the Wuhan Museum, and the David Elephant - Ear Vase

VII、Comparison, Analysis, and Interpretation of This Elephant - Ear Vase with the Yuan Blue and White Porcelain Shards Unearthed from the South Bank Kiln Site of Hutian Kiln in Jingdezhen under the Same Light Source

VIII、Comparison, Analysis, and Interpretation of the "Fine Spiral Pattern Technique" and "Milky - White Joint - Firing Clay Docking Technique" of This Elephant - Ear Vase, the Yuan Blue and White Porcelain Shards Collected by Netizen Ma Hongjun from Guangzhou, the Yuan Blue and White Porcelain Shards Unearthed from the Third Middle School in Jingdezhen, and the Yuan Blue and White Plate in the Harvard University Museum in the United States

IX、Postscript

I、Introduction

When it comes to Yuan blue and white porcelain, we can't avoid mentioning the two world - recognized David Vases in Gallery 95 of the British Museum. How did these elephant - ear vases, which were made in Jingdezhen, China, end up in the UK? And who identified them as Yuan blue and white porcelain?

History preserves memories. Let's sort out the whole story.

As early as 1926, in Beijing's Liulichang, a British person bought these two Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vases at a very low price from Wu Laixi, an antique dealer from Fujian. Why could he buy them so cheaply? At that time, many experts in the field thought they were fakes, believing that there was no blue and white porcelain in the Yuan Dynasty at all.

In 1929, Sir Percival David, 37 years old at the time, purchased these two Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vases with the inscription of the 11th year of Zhizheng from two British collectors respectively. Soon after, Dr. R. L. Hobson, a scholar from the British Museum, saw these two porcelain vases and was very surprised. He published an article titled "Blue - and - White Porcelain before the Ming Dynasty" in the magazine Old Furniture, in which he introduced these two large Yuan blue and white dragon - pattern vases in detail. Unfortunately, Hobson's report did not attract the attention of the academic community.

It was not until 1952, 23 years later, that Dr. John Alexander Pope, a scholar of ancient ceramics at the Freer Gallery of Art in the United States, saw these two elephant - ear vases. Using them as standard pieces, he found dozens of Chinese blue and white porcelains with similar styles in the museums of Turkey and Iran, and collectively referred to them as 14th - century blue and white porcelains. He published an article titled "Fourteenth - Century Blue - and - White Porcelain: A Group of Chinese Porcelains in the Topkapi Saray Museum, Istanbul" and in 1956, he published another article titled "Chinese Porcelains in the Shrine of Sheikh Safi - al - Din Ardabili". Since then, Yuan blue and white porcelain has received worldwide attention in the cultural and museum community.

The discovery of the David Vases rewritten the history of Chinese blue and white porcelain, and the world began to recognize Yuan blue and white porcelain. Without these two David elephant - ear vases, the uncovering of the mystery of Yuan blue and white porcelain might have been postponed for many more years.

Therefore, when it comes to the protection and collection of Yuan blue and white porcelain, we should remember Sir Percival David from the UK. When it comes to the study of Yuan blue and white porcelain, we should remember R. L. Hobson from the UK and John Alexander Pope from the US. They are the forerunners in the study of Yuan blue and white porcelain.

Figure 1-1 below:

Sir Percival David (1892 - 1964), a British collector who acquired a pair of Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vases in 1929.

Figure 1-2 below: Dr. John Pope (1906-1982), the discoverer of Yuan Dynasty blue and white porcelain, who had sharp eyes.

Figure 2 below:

A pair of Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vases in the Percival David Foundation of Chinese Art, UK. One of them is 63.6 cm in height, 14.3 cm in mouth diameter, 17.5 cm in foot diameter, and weighs 7.7 kg.

This is the only blue - and - white porcelain in the world named after a foreigner. Its full name is "Percival David Yuan Blue and White Elephant - Ear Vase", abbreviated as "David Vase". There are 62 characters on the right - hand vase and 61 characters on the left - hand vase in the picture. However, upon close inspection, both vases are tilted (tilted - neck elephant - ear vases), as if they were about to topple over. They need to be propped up with objects to stand upright during exhibitions. I really doubt if they are a pair of defective products. This pair of elephant - ear vases was taken over by the British Museum in 2009 and is listed as one of the top ten treasures of the British Museum. They are displayed in Gallery 95 of the British Museum.

At present, according to the conclusion of domestic experts, there is only one pair of genuine Yuan blue - and - white elephant - ear vases with the inscription "the 11th year of Zhizheng" both at home and abroad. This pair of genuine vases is in the UK. They are world - recognized "Zhizheng - type" dating standard pieces for Yuan blue - and - white porcelain, and are also regarded by Western scholars as the world's most well - known blue - and - white porcelain with detailed year inscriptions.

II、The Historical Traces Left by My Elephant-Ear Vase on Online Platforms in the Past Nearly 20 Years

Cultural relics are the immortal memories of a country. Similarly, since the day a cultural relic is created, it is bound to leave historical traces, and these traces, after verification, can form a relatively complete chain of evidence.

In October 2003, I was fortunate enough to collect a Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vase. Although I knew the provenance of the collection was reliable, I still dedicated a great deal of time to research. After more than three years of self - verification, in early 2007, I completed a research manuscript on the Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vase with over 30,000 words, which was first published on my NetEase blog.

In March 2007, I published the initial manuscript in the Art Chat section of Artron.net, the largest art collection website in China at that time. For the sake of confidentiality, I only posted two "macro" pictures and one partial picture at that time. Key pictures of the bottom, the mouth, and the iron spots of the Su - Ma - Li - Qing cobalt were not released. Even with just these three pictures, this manuscript was recommended to be displayed on the homepage of Artron.net for a month, indicating that Artron's view of this item was neutral at that time.

In May 2007, I published the second revised manuscript on the Fuxing Forum of CCTV.com.

In October 2008, my child and I, as well as my wife and child, took photos with this elephant - ear vase at home.

In July 2016, I published the third - revised manuscript of the elephant - ear vase on Meipian. After careful consideration, I was no longer overly cautious and boldly made public 90% of the detailed pictures of this elephant - ear vase.

In May 2022, my research manuscript on the Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vase, "Challenging the World Ceramic Circle - Rare Yuan Blue and White Porcelain Rewrites the History of Chinese Ceramics", was finally finalized into a book (with over 40,000 words and more than 100 pictures).

In total, the research on this Yuan blue and white elephant - ear vase has taken nearly 20 years. Thinking about it, how many 20 - year periods are there in a person's life!

Figure 3 below:

At 22:14 on the evening of March 29, 2007, this 35,000 - word research manuscript was published on Artron.net, the largest art collection website in China at that time. The title of the manuscript was "A Genuine Yuan Blue and White Elephant - Ear Vase Dating Back 656 Years Discovered in Hubei". The picture below is a screenshot of the evidence.

Figure 4 - 1 below:

On May 17, 2007, a screenshot of the second revised manuscript of this elephant - ear vase being published on the Fuxing Forum of CCTV.com. As can be seen from the screenshot, my online name on the "Fuxing Forum of CCTV.com" at that time was "Elephant - Ear Vase".

Figure 4-2 below:

 After my elephant-ear vase manuscript was published on the Fuxing Forum of CCTV.com on May 17, 2007, a netizen asked to see the photos of the bottom of the elephant-ear vase on May 19. At that time, worried about it being copied, I refused his request. Please check the evidence in the picture below.

Figure 4 - 3 below:

After my manuscript on the elephant - ear vase was published on the Fuxing Forum of CCTV.com on May 17, 2007, five years later in 2013, when I searched for the keyword "Compare Chinese Elephant - Ear Vases" on Sogou, the manuscript I published on CCTV.com could still be found. The picture below is a screenshot of the evidence.

Figure 5 - 1 below:

A photo of the author, the child, and this elephant - ear vase. This photo was taken on a certain day in December 2008. Now the child has grown up, graduated from university, and started working. My hair has turned white. So much has changed over the years!

Figure 5 - 2 below:

A photo of the author's wife, the child, and this elephant - ear vase.

Figure 5 - 3 below:

The original date stamp of the Kodak digital camera with 8 - megapixel when taking a photo of this elephant - ear vase in the hall of the collector's home: 2009/11/26

Figure 5 - 4 below:

In May 2022, my research manuscript on the Yuan blue - and - white elephant - ear vase, "Challenging the World Ceramic Community: Rare Yuan Blue - and - White Porcelain Rewrites the History of Chinese Ceramics", was finally finalized into a book (with over 40,000 words and more than 100 pictures).

Whenever the dead of night arrives and I look up at the crescent moon, my mind travels back over 600 years. I picture the hunchbacked and suffering kiln workers in Jingdezhen toiling away, creating these exquisite Yuan blue - and - white elephant - ear vases. This prompts me to sink into deep thought. Such a relic of Chinese history should belong to all of China, all of humanity, and the entire world!

III、Physical Appearances and Interpretations of the Whole Vase, Mouth, Foot, and Inner Cavity of This Elephant - Ear Vase

1、Display of the Whole Elephant - Ear Vase (Figure 6 below)

This is a Yuan blue - and - white cloud - dragon - pattern elephant - ear vase that has been passed down for over 600 years. It features eight layers of blue - and - white patterns. From top to bottom, they are intertwined chrysanthemum patterns, plantain leaf patterns, cloud - phoenix patterns, intertwined lotus patterns, cloud - dragon patterns, sea - water patterns, intertwined peony patterns, and miscellaneous treasure patterns.

This elephant - ear vase has an inscription of 62 characters. The original text reads: "Zhang Wenjin, a disciple from Jingtang She, Dejiao Li, Shuncheng Township, Yushan County, Xinzhou Road, gladly donates a set of incense burner and flower vases, praying for the well - being of the whole family, the safety of children. Recorded in the good time of April, the 11th year of Zhizheng. Hu Jingyi, the marshal of Xingyuan Ancestral Hall, salutes." (The interpretation of the 62 - character inscription is omitted here, about 10,000 words).

The glaze surface of this elephant - ear vase is transparent, clear, as warm and smooth as jade, thick like piled fat, with a sense of oiliness and glass - like texture. It is full of a precious and antique air. Especially when viewed under the lamp at night, it radiates a precious glow, which is extremely pleasing to the eye!

If you touch the whole body of the vase with your hand, you can feel the unevenness and the natural tactile sensation of the Su - Ma - Li - Qing cobalt penetrating into the fetal bone.

Figure 6 below: The whole picture of this elephant - ear vase (67.1 cm in height). Ma Weidu said that Yuan blue - and - white porcelain "emerged out of nowhere and reached its peak upon debut", and I agree with this view.

2、Display of the Mouth of This Elephant - Ear Vase (Figure 7 below)

Look at the picture of the mouth. The old patina and aged crust here are the marks left by more than 600 years of time. From the inner wall of the vase mouth, we can see the wear and tear left by arranging flowers over the past 600 - plus years, as well as the speckled black soil rust. This kind of speckled soil rust is one of the characteristics of handed - down items.

The very obvious wear marks and speckled black soil rust left on the neck of this elephant - ear vase prove that this elephant - ear vase was a practical vase rather than an ornamental one. As for what this elephant - ear vase was used for, whether it was for flower - arranging or other purposes, further research is needed.

Figure 7 below: The picture of the mouth of this elephant - ear vase

3、Display of the Foot of This Elephant - Ear Vase (Figure 8 below)

This elephant - ear vase has a shallow - dug and scraped foot. The manufacturing process involves cutting the foot of the base and then scraping it flat. There are no turning marks and no spot glazes. It has a wide and extremely low ring - foot. The entire foot of the vase is covered with "huo shi hong" (a kind of red color on the bottom of ancient porcelain, literally "flint red"), resembling a red - hot brick. Along the edge where the foot meets the body glaze, there are wear marks left from dragging the vase over the years.

The "huo shi hong" on the foot of the elephant - ear vase emerges naturally from the fetal bone, without a sense of being superficial. The color of the "huo shi hong" is soft and bright, showing a red hue, similar to a red - hot brick or rocks weathered over the years. When observed closely, there are many white long - quartz crystals about 0.1 mm in diameter that have not been completely calcined and melted, covering the foot bottom and emitting a semi - metallic luster.

4、Display of the Linen Imprint in the Inner Cavity of This Elephant - Ear Vase (Figure 9 below)

This picture is also the most stunning (it has never been released to the public before because it contains so much information that it's quite overwhelming). In the inner cavity of this elephant - ear vase, there are "linen imprints" left by the molding process, "trimming marks" left by the bamboo knife during fetal - trimming, a joint mark at the bottom left by squeezing the slurry, and patchy milky - white joint slurry remaining on the inner wall. The entire inner cavity is covered with soil rust formed by the accumulation of dust over more than 600 years. (As the Western saying goes: The devil is in the details.) To be honest, just this one picture of the inner cavity can outshine all fake Yuan blue - and - white porcelains.

Figure 9 below: The picture of the linen imprint in the inner cavity of this elephant - ear vase

IV、Interpretation of the Physical Appearance and Formation Mechanism of Sumaliqing of this Elephant - Ear Vase

As we know, the blue - and - white material used in high - quality Yuan blue - and - white porcelain is Suniboqing, also known as Sumaliqing, abbreviated as "Su - material". It is a kind of blue - and - white pigment imported from Persia and is very precious.

1、Display of the Hair - color of Sumaliqing in the Flame and Coral Patterns of this Elephant - Ear Vase (Figure 10 - 1 below)

The Su - material is the code and identity card of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain. Among them, "iron spots, halo diffusion, and sapphire blue" are the three visual characteristics of the Su - material.

The hair - color of the blue - and - white material on this elephant - ear vase presents a secluded blue luster and the radiance similar to that of sapphire. The iron spots that show a purple - black and green - blue color, along with the gathering of bubbles around them, are the hair - color characteristics of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain. There is also a natural concave - convex feeling that varies in depth according to the intensity of the blue - and - white material. Such an appearance can only be the physical manifestation after the high - temperature calcination of the natural associated cobalt ore.

Figure 10 - 1 below: The picture of the hair - color of Sumaliqing in the flame and coral patterns of this elephant - ear vase. (It should be emphasized again that the picture below is not a microscopic one, but a normal screenshot. I never use a magnifying glass to observe microscopically, because it will only make things more confusing.)

Figure 10 - 2 below:

 "Iron spots, halo diffusion, and sapphire blue" are the three major characteristics of the Su - material. The following picture shows the physical characteristic of sapphire blue presented by the Su - material of this elephant - ear vase.

2、Picture of the Characteristics of the Su - material in the Miscellaneous Treasure Patterns of this Elephant - Ear Vase (Figure 11 below)

As can be seen from the picture below, there is a "serrated halo diffusion" along the lower edge of Line ①, and a "fluffy halo diffusion" along the lower edge of Line ②. These characteristics are the natural downward - hanging halo diffusions that occur after the calcination of the contour lines drawn with the Su - material that was not completely ground in the ancient method when the potter's wheel rotated rapidly during painting. In addition, at the corners of the brushstrokes, as well as at the starting and pausing points of the brushstrokes, "thick iron spots" appear. These iron spots have a natural transition and show no signs of artificial dot - dyeing.

3、Comparison Chart of the "Serrated Halo Diffusion" between this Elephant - Ear Vase and Ink - Brush Calligraphy on Rice Paper (Figure 12 below)

No one would have thought that Sumaliqing could achieve the same halo - diffusion effect as calligraphy on rice paper, transplanting the beauty of calligraphy on paper onto blue - and - white porcelain. This is a wonder of nature. This "halo - diffusion" fascinated Emperor Yongzheng, who ordered imitations. However, without imported Su - material at that time, could it be successful? Thus, we can see that some blue - and - white porcelains from the Yongzheng era used the "dot - dyeing" method in an attempt to achieve the "explosive" effect of the halo - diffusion of Su - material, but it was clearly a poor imitation.

Figure 12 below: Comparison chart of the "serrated halo - diffusion" between this elephant - ear vase and ink - brush calligraphy on rice paper. Don't they look incredibly similar? It's all about that one word: "explosive". Although Jingdezhen imitators accidentally obtained the original Sumaliqing ore from Iran in 2010, without the right "paper" (Macang clay) even with the good "ink" (Sumaliqing), they still couldn't replicate the charming effect of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain from 600 years ago. There's

4、Display of the Hair - color of Sumaliqing at the Elephant - Ear Grip of this Elephant - Ear Vase (Figure 13 below)

This picture is a normal screenshot taken with an ordinary 8 - megapixel camera using flash, not a microscopic image.

From this picture, it can be seen that after being calcined at 1300°C, the Sumaliqing, having been deposited in the glaze and undergoing long - term oxidation for over 600 years, presents a well - defined, colorful, and multi - hued appearance similar to a rainbow in the sky. There are multiple layers of light blue, dark blue, black, purple, silver - white, gray, green, etc., with multi - colored spots distributed in an interlaced manner. This is the natural coloration of the original mineral Su - material. Such a color gradation is as pure and natural as "a lotus flower emerging from clear water, free from artificial adornment".

With these characteristics of the Su - material, this piece of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain is truly a "counterfeiting - proof" treasure.

Figure 13 below: Picture of the hair - color of Sumaliqing at the elephant - ear grip of this elephant - ear vase

5、Brief Analysis of the Hair - color of Sumaliqing in this Elephant - Ear Vase and Its Formation Mechanism (Figure 14 below)

Sumaliqing is a type of natural vitreous crystalline mineral material (primary ore or associated ore). After hundreds of millions of years of co - existence and decomposition, elements such as cobalt, manganese, iron, nickel, copper, potassium, and arsenic in the mineral material are relatively stable and integrated with each other. At a high temperature of 1300°C, these trace elements are reduced into a riot of colors. For example, cobalt is reduced to blue, nickel to silver - white (tin - like luster), potassium to purple, copper to green, iron to coffee - brown, and manganese to taupe, etc. These colors do not exist in isolation. The physical appearance after calcination shows that various colors interlock with one another, with each color containing elements of the others, without violent mutual repulsion.

The picture below shows the beautiful spectacle of interlaced blue, green, purple, and other colors formed after the high - temperature calcination at 1270°C of metal elements such as cobalt, iron, and manganese at the elephant - ear grip of this elephant - ear vase. Especially in this picture of the Su - material, there is a unique "purple" in blue - and - white porcelain, which should be the color presented by potassium after calcination.

Figure 14 below: Diagram for the brief analysis of the hair - color of Sumaliqing in this elephant - ear vase and its formation mechanism. (The formation mechanism of the Su - material described in this diagram needs to be verified by physicists and chemists. My views may not be correct.)

6、Display of the Bubbles in the Hair - color of Sumaliqing of the 62 - character Inscription on this Elephant - Ear Vase (Figure 15 below)

It can be observed that "white bubbles are within the characters, and there are white bubbles in the inscriptions", presenting a hazy view, like seeing flowers through a fog. It should be noted that as of 2020, the physical appearance of "white bubbles in the characters" has been imitated relatively well (about 70% similarity), indicating that the skills of counterfeiters are constantly improving.

Figure 15 below: Picture of the bubbles in the hair - color of Sumaliqing of the 62 - character inscription on this elephant - ear vase

V、When studying Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain, one must understand a basic fact: in 2010, those engaged in porcelain imitation accidentally obtained the original mineral cobalt material, Sumaliqing, from Iran through China's textile industry.

Regarding Sumaliqing (a type of cobalt blue pigment), here I'd like to talk about a big, accidental event that occurred across the boundaries of China's textile industry and Jingdezhen, the base for imitating Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain.

In 2010, China's textile industry imported a batch of natural mineral cobalt materials from Iran at a very low price for dyeing cloth. Some people in Jingdezhen were the first to apply this cobalt material to the decal paper for porcelain. As a result, the experimental outcome showed that the lines were not clear and there was bleeding. However, some Jingdezhen artisans believed that this was exactly the bleeding characteristic of Sumaliqing. Later, they used this cobalt material imported from Iran for porcelain painting, and after firing, it indeed produced the effects of Sumaliqing bleeding and iron rust spots.

So, it can be said that Jingdezhen's imitation of Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain officially came into full swing after 2010, which serves as a time dividing line. That is to say, the Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain imitated in Jingdezhen before 2010, due to the lack of the original Sumaliqing ore from Iran, all turned out rather awkward, with something not quite right either here or there.

Before 2010, in order to imitate Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain, Jingdezhen searched everywhere for this kind of original Sumaliqing ore with high iron and low manganese content, but couldn't find it! Unexpectedly, China's textile industry, which crossed the boundary, unintentionally gave Jingdezhen a great help. Since then, many fake Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelains with the characteristics of Sumaliqing ore have appeared in Jingdezhen.

The general meaning of the above text is derived from the video content of Chen Chen, a renowned figure in Jingdezhen's porcelain imitation field, on September 11, 2023.

The following picture is a screenshot from the video "The Exploration Journey of Sumaliqing" by Teacher Chen Chen of Yueqingtang.

Therefore, when studying Yuan blue - and - white porcelain, one must be aware of a fundamental fact. In 2010, counterfeiters unexpectedly obtained the original cobalt ore Sumaliqing from Iran through the Chinese textile industry (from different ore layers). Even after more than a decade of exploration and imitation by modern Jingdezhen artisans, as of 2024, they still can't replicate the physical appearance of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain from 600 years ago. There are multiple reasons for this, but the main one is the lack of the right "paper" even with the "good ink", coupled with differences in the ore layers of the Sumaliqing, as well as the inability to replicate the glaze, Macang clay, temperature, and the firing environment of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain from 600 years ago. Ultimately, these imitations still fall far short of the genuine articles.

As for the Yuan blue - and - white porcelain imitations made after the reform and opening up in 1978 but before 2010, whether it was Rao, who was hyped up back then, or Wang, whose works were overly boasted about, those items are now clearly fake at a glance and can't withstand any scrutiny.

Yuan blue - and - white porcelain, which was originally quite straightforward to identify, has been thrown into disarray by counterfeiters. Added to this are the greed and ignorance of some individuals, who either completely deny the authenticity of everything or consider everything a treasure. To put it another way, if high - quality imitations could be made to be indistinguishable from the real ones, imitating every aspect from the texture of the body, the glaze surface, the patterns, to the aging marks, then the antique art market would soon collapse. The result would be the complete destruction of the objective standards for antique appraisal.

VI、Comparison, Analysis and Interpretation of This Elephant - Ear Vase with the Yuan Blue - and - White Plate with 'Spring' Character in the National Museum of Iran, the Xuande Zun in Nanjing Museum, the Four - Love Plum - blossom Vase in Wuhan Museum and the David Vases

2007 was a year full of hope for the study of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain in mainland China.

In March 2007, my research manuscript on the elephant - ear vase was published on online platforms such as the Fuxing Forum of CCTV.com, Artron.net, and NetEase Blog.

On May 2, 2007, a 12 - member research team on Yuan blue - and - white porcelain organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration visited the Yuan blue - and - white porcelains in the National Museum of Iran in Tehran. Dr. Xu Ming, one of the team members, took a large number of extremely clear pictures of the hair - color of Sumaliqing on Yuan blue - and - white porcelains with a digital camera.

Starting from August 2007, after returning to China from Iran, Xu Ming gradually posted these pictures of Yuan blue - and - white porcelains from Iran on the then Zhonghua Jianbao website. This allowed netizens across the country to see the charming Yuan blue - and - white porcelains and the complex hair - color of Sumaliqing, setting off a craze for learning about Yuan blue - and - white porcelain. The pictures of the Su - material posted by Xu Ming enabled us to see the hair - color characteristics of Sumaliqing on Yuan blue - and - white porcelains from Iran that had been hidden for over 600 years.

After Xu Ming posted these pictures online, through comparison, I was astonished to find that the hair - color of Sumaliqing on my elephant - ear vase was almost identical to that of the "Yuan blue - and - white plate with 'Spring' character from Iran" photographed by Xu Ming this time. It was truly a stroke of luck! This coincidence, from the side, also proved that my Yuan blue - and - white elephant - ear vase was not a fake. How could counterfeiters imitate it without a reference?

After seeing the pictures of Yuan blue - and - white porcelains from Iran posted by Xu Ming, I naively thought that my elephant - ear vase was not far from being recognized. It should be recognized by the country because the characteristics of the Su - material completely matched. This shows how simple - minded and naive I was.

Later, I often said that I was truly grateful to Xu Ming for these pictures in my research on Yuan blue - and - white porcelain. Before May 2007, although there were many experts and a large amount of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain picture information on all art collection website forums every day, not a single high - definition, charming picture of the hair - color of Sumaliqing with a secluded blue luster had ever been seen. It was these high - quality and high - definition pictures of Sumaliqing taken by Xu Ming from Iran in 2007 that enabled me to fully understand the true physical appearance of Sumaliqing.

Of course, these high - definition pictures of the hair - color of Sumaliqing on Yuan blue - and - white porcelains from Iran posted by Xu Ming on the Internet were also downloaded, studied, and experimented with by counterfeiters. Subsequently, they gradually imitated some Yuan blue - and - white porcelains that could deceive the general public.

Especially in July 2005, after the Yuan blue - and - white porcelain with the story of Guiguzi was successfully auctioned for 230 million yuan, driven by economic interests, a huge craze for collecting fake Yuan blue - and - white porcelains among the Chinese people emerged. Counterfeiters also imitated frantically, pushing Yuan blue - and - white porcelain into a disastrous situation. So, the real imitation of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain started after July 2005. Before that, although there were imitations, they were basically copied from catalogs, and the hair - color characteristics of the Su - material were not truly grasped. The imitations were far from the genuine products.

Here, I can't help but sigh. To be honest, before 2007, whether out of public - spiritedness or self - interest, as a researcher at the Shanghai Academy of Social Sciences, Dr. Xu Ming had an exploratory spirit in the study of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain. If the talented Xu Ming had remained true to his original aspiration and adhered to the truth, he wouldn't have become the spiritual leader of a certain group later, nor would the farce of "presenting national treasures to Wenchuan" have occurred. What a pity!

In fact, in 2001 and 2007, Xu Ming visited Turkey and Iran twice to investigate Chinese Yuan - dynasty porcelain.

On March 29, 2001, a delegation of ten Chinese experts organized by the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Cultural Heritage (including Jiang Qixi and Yuan Shankai and their wife, Wang Qingzheng, Li Huibing, Liu Xinyuan, Fei Boliang, Xu Ming, etc.) inspected the Yuan - dynasty porcelain in the Topkapi Palace Museum in Istanbul, Turkey. During this inspection in 2001, the Turkish authorities had strict requirements. They could only observe, not touch (but they still touched on - site), and could not take close - up photos. In fact, at that time, there were no high - pixel digital cameras, and micro - pictures of the Su - material could not be taken either.

After returning from this inspection, Xu Ming published an article titled "The Dreamy Road to Topkapi" on the first page of the 9th issue (total 105th issue) of the magazine "Collection" in 2001. The article was indeed grand, readable, and full of wit and humor. The only shortcoming was that there were only a few macroscopic pictures of Yuan blue - and - white porcelains in the article, without a single micro - picture of Sumaliqing.

On May 2, 2007, organized by the National Cultural Heritage Administration, Xu Ming, as a member of the expert delegation, went to inspect the Yuan - dynasty porcelain in the National Museum of Iran. During this inspection in 2007, the Iranian authorities permitted the members of the Chinese Yuan blue - and - white porcelain inspection team to view, touch, and take pictures (reportedly approved by the Iranian Ministry of Culture). Therefore, after returning from his second inspection, Xu Ming was full of energy and joy. He selflessly posted a large number of high - definition pictures of Yuan blue - and - white porcelains from Iran on the Internet. Later, Xu Ming also wrote a book titled "Tehran, A First - hand Account of the Inspection of Yuan Blue - and - White Porcelain in Iranian Collections in 2007", which was published and distributed on January 1, 2008. Although the book contained some personal views on Yuan blue - and - white porcelain, it still had a certain impact in the collection community. I bought a copy at that time.

1、High - definition Display of the Su - material of the Yuan Blue - and - White Plate with 'Spring' Character in Iran Photographed by Xu Ming in 2007 (Figure 16 below)

This display picture was cited by Comrade Xifeng, a researcher of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain, in his book "Decoding Yuan Blue - and - White Porcelain and High - quality Imitations" published in 2009.

Figure 16 below: High - definition picture of the leaf pattern of the Yuan blue - and - white plate with 'Spring' character in Iran, photographed by Xu Ming in May 2007 and posted on the "Zhonghua Jianbao website" in August (there is a stamp of "Zhonghua Jianbao" on the picture).

2、Figure 17-1 below：

Comparison of the Su - material of the Flame Pattern of this Elephant - Ear Vase and the Leaf Pattern of the Spring - character Plate in Iran

As can be seen from the comparison pictures, the hair - color of their Su - materials, the sapphire - blue color and the characteristics of the bubbles are astonishingly consistent!

The picture of the hair - color of the Su - material on the Spring - character plate in Iran was taken by Xu Ming in May 2007 when he returned from Iran and was released on the Zhonghua Jianbao website in August. At that time, everyone was amazed to see that the hair - color of Sumaliqing was so charming.

My elephant - ear vase was posted on Artron.net in March 2007, earlier than the pictures taken by Xu Ming. Regarding the collection date of this vase, I said it was October 2003, but without solid evidence, it's not believable. What is verifiable is the 35,000 - word manuscript about the elephant - ear vase published on NetEase Blog and Artron.net in March 2007.

If I were to tell you that an elder of mine saw this elephant - ear vase under the bed of his family during the Cultural Revolution, you would surely think I'm telling a fairy - tale or talking nonsense. Since there is no solid proof, it's just hearsay. You can treat it as a story or a joke. In the antique - collecting circle, people "only look at the collections, not listen to the stories".

3、 Figure 17 - 2 below

compare the flame pattern on this elephant - ear vase with the leaf pattern of the cobalt - blue and white porcelain plate with the Chinese character 'Spring' from Iran.

4、Figure 17-3 below:

A comparative combination chart of the leaf bubble diagram of this elephant-ear vase and the close-up of the bubbles on the twined-branch leaf of the large Yuan Dynasty blue-and-white porcelain plate with the Chinese character "Chun" in the collection of the museum in Iran. It can be seen that the bubble shapes of them are exactly the same.

As can be inferred from Figure 17 above, could the counterfeiters in Jingdezhen be gods? Could they have replicated the porcelain out of thin air without seeing the high - definition pictures of the hair - color of the Su - material on the Spring - character plate in Iran? It's truly a stroke of luck for me! And of course, they still can't replicate it even now.

5、Figure 18 below:

Comparison of the Iron - Rust Spots between this Elephant - Ear Vase (left) and the "Xuande Zun in Nanjing Museum"

Sumaliqing is a natural mineral material. Its main characteristics are high iron and low manganese content, and it also contains trace elements such as arsenic, resulting in thick coffee - colored iron spots.

The uneven elephant - ear plastic - molding process provides a natural coloring site for the Su - material. The hair - color of the Sumaliqing cobalt material on the elephant - ear is the most complete and stunning.

Figure 18 below: Comparison of the iron - rust spots between this elephant - ear vase (left) and the "Xuande Zun in Nanjing Museum". It can be seen that their iron - rust spots and hair - color are astonishingly consistent.

6、Figure 19 below:

Macro - comparison of the Aged Glaze Surfaces between this Elephant - Ear Vase (left) and the Four - Love Plum - blossom Vase in Wuhan Museum

You don't know until you compare, and once you do, it's quite a shock. It can be seen that their "aged duck - egg blue glaze surfaces" are astonishingly similar. My elephant - ear vase is 67.1 cm tall, while the Four - Love Plum - blossom Vase in Wuhan Museum is only 37.6 cm tall, 29.5 cm shorter.

In fact, this 37.6 - cm - tall Four - Love Plum - blossom Vase was acquired by the Wuhan Museum in the summer of 1998 for 600 yuan from a Hubei farmer. In 2000, after being appraised by Mr. Geng Baochang, it was definitively identified as Yuan blue - and - white porcelain (I really hope that there will be another such decisive expert within China's institutional system, or an expert or scholar who truly understands Yuan blue - and - white porcelain, dares to assume historical responsibility, and dares to speak the truth). Currently, this plum - blossom vase is the "treasure of the town" in the Wuhan Museum.

Why is the aged duck - egg blue glaze surface of Yuan - dynasty porcelain so appealing? Besides using the binary formula of Macang clay and porcelain stone for the fetal bone, it is mainly due to the texture, layering, and three - dimensional effect generated by the overall sinking of the glaze surface and the blue - and - white material. This appearance is currently impossible to imitate because it's not just about imitation, but rather a lack of time - based precipitation.

Figure 19 below: Macro - comparison diagram of the aged glaze surfaces between this elephant - ear vase (left) and the Four - Love Plum - blossom Vase in Wuhan Museum

7、Figure 20 below:

Comparison of the "Base Shape" and "Sole Process" between this Elephant - Ear Vase (left) and the David Vase

It can be seen that this elephant - ear vase has a flat bottom with a shallow ring foot, while the David Vase has a flared - shaped deep ring foot, yet both have flint red.

The base shape of this elephant - ear vase (the 8th layer at the bottom) is a perfect circle, and the base shape of the David Vase (the 8th layer) is flared - shaped.

Figure 20 below: Comparison diagram of the "base shape" and "sole process" between this elephant - ear vase (left) and the David Vase (The analysis of their decorative styles and the layout of the painting's central axis is omitted here, about 3000 words)

Since it's a comparison, here I'll顺带 mention several different characters in the 62 - character inscriptions of my elephant - ear vase and the David Vase. Please refer to the following table.

Regarding simplified Chinese characters, we should have a correct understanding. Just because we see simplified characters on ancient porcelain doesn't mean it's fake. In fact, the origins of "simplified characters" include ancient characters, common - use characters, variant characters, and cursive - script characters standardized into regular . These four types of characters not only appear in ancient books but also on steles and in porcelain inscriptions. Some people have made statistics. Among the 521 most commonly used simplified characters, only 101 were created after the founding of the People's Republic of China in 1949. The other 420 were adopted from the ancients, and even 68 of them existed before the First Emperor of Qin unified the six states.

Figure 21 below: Comparison diagram of the 62 - character inscriptions between this elephant - ear vase (left) and the David Vase

VII、Comparison, Analysis and Interpretation of this Elephant - Ear Vase with Yuan Blue - and - White Porcelain Shards Unearthed from the South Bank of Hutian Kiln under the Same Light Source

When conducting research on cultural relics, comparing with well - authenticated porcelain shards is the best approach. Especially, the comparison under the same light source is like a magic mirror that can expose all fakes.

The pictures in this section bring me the greatest surprise. I've found the common characteristics of the hair - color of Sumaliqing under the same light source. Their hair - colors are astonishingly consistent, which is truly amazing.

1、Display of the A - B Sides and Side - surface Pores of a Fragment of a Yuan Blue - and - White Plate Unearthed from the South - bank Kiln Site of Hutian Kiln in Jingdezhen (Figures 22 - 1, 22 - 2 below)

This is a highly authenticated fragment of a Yuan blue - and - white plate, which can be used as a reference.

Figure 22 - 1 below: Picture of the A - B sides and side - surface pores of a fragment of a Yuan blue - and - white plate unearthed from the south - bank kiln site of Hutian Kiln in Jingdezhen

Figure 22 - 2 below:

Close - up of the Su - material on the fragment of a Yuan blue - and - white plate unearthed from the south - bank kiln site of Hutian Kiln in Jingdezhen

2、Figure 23 below:

Comparison of the Hair - color of the Su - material between the Yuan Blue - and - White Porcelain Shard from the South - bank Kiln Site of Hutian in Jingdezhen and this Elephant - Ear Vase under the Same Light Source

It can be seen that under the same light source, the sapphire - blue hair - color of their Su - material and the shapes of the bubbles are astonishingly consistent.

Figure 23 below: Comparison diagram of the hair - color of the Su - material between the Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shard from the south - bank kiln site of Hutian in Jingdezhen and this elephant - ear vase under the same light source

3、Comparison Diagram of this Elephant - Ear Vase and the Yuan Blue - and - White Porcelain Shard from Jingdezhen Kiln Site Photographed under the Same Light Source (Figure 24 below)

The physical appearance of the iron spots on the elephant - ear of this elephant - ear vase is astonishingly consistent with that on the porcelain shard. The Sumaliqing deposited in the glaze has undergone long - term oxidation over more than 600 years, forming a multi - layer charming color gradation. This color gradation is the natural color of the original mineral Su - material, which is the Achilles' heel of counterfeiters because they lack the necessary time. Just based on this point, all so - called "high - quality imitation Yuan blue - and - white porcelains" can be discarded.

Figure 24 below: Comparison diagram of this elephant - ear vase and the Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shard from the south - bank kiln site of Hutian in Jingdezhen under the same light source

VIII、Comparison, Analysis and Interpretation of the "Fine Spiral Pattern Technique" and "Milky - white Joint - clay Joining Technique" among this Elephant - Ear Vase, the Yuan Blue - and - White Porcelain Shard Collected by Netizen Ma Hongjun in Guangzhou, the Yuan Blue - and - White Porcelain Shard Unearthed from the Third Middle School in Jingdezhen, and the Yuan Blue - and - White Plate in the Harvard Museum in the United States

The method of making the body of large - scale Yuan - dynasty carved porcelain generally involves using molds to make the body in sections (molding process). After air - drying, the embryo is trimmed with a bamboo knife and finally assembled. Therefore, some very fine spiral patterns can be left on the inner wall of some Yuan blue - and - white porcelains.

Here, we will not discuss the outer - wall trimming for now, but focus on the controversial issue of whether there are fine spiral patterns on the inner - wall trimming.

Currently, some experts in the cultural heritage and museum system believe that the inner walls of Yuan - dynasty porcelain are all made by the molding process. After molding, the inner wall does not need to be trimmed. A simple wipe with a cloth or a touch with a knife is sufficient, and no fine spiral patterns will be left. Items with "fine spiral patterns" are considered fake. Whether this view is correct or not remains to be discussed.

However, with the continuous discovery of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shards with fine spiral patterns on the inner wall, this view is becoming increasingly untenable.

For example, the neck of this elephant - ear vase has very fine spiral patterns! Can we say that this elephant - ear vase is a modern imitation just based on this?

I was very distressed about this. I searched painstakingly on the Internet for three years. Finally, one day in 2008, when browsing the "Ming and Qing Dynasty Edition" on Artron.net, I accidentally discovered a highly authenticated Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shard with "fine spiral patterns" on the inner wall. I was overjoyed and immediately sent a message to this netizen from Guangzhou. He replied to me the next day.

This kind of "fine spiral pattern" is relatively rare on the inner wall of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain. The discovery of this porcelain shard with fine spiral patterns is of great significance as it refutes the view of some experts that all Yuan - dynasty porcelain is "molded and only the outer part is trimmed, not the inner part". Some experts even went so far as to claim that it was after Western missionaries introduced files that China had long - spoon - shaped trimming tools for trimming the inner part.

1、Figure 25 below：

A Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shard with "fine spiral patterns" (machine - like patterns) on the inner wall, which was posted on the Ming and Qing Dynasty section of Artron.net by netizen Ma Hongjun from Guangzhou in 2008. At that time, I was eager to buy this shard and told him to name his price, but this guy just refused to sell it.

2、Figure 26 below：

This is a Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shard unearthed from the Third Middle School in Jingdezhen, which I collected in 2020. It can be seen that this porcelain shard also has very fine and regular spiral patterns.

3、Figure 27 below：

This is a fragment of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain from a Yuhuchun - shaped vase that I collected in 2022 (the specific kiln - site of its excavation is unknown). It took me a full 17 years, both online and offline, to find this kind of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shard with "fine spiral patterns on the inner wall" and "traces of milky - white clay used for joining the body parts". Just imagine how precious it is.

4、Figure 28 below：

The Yuan blue - and - white plate in the collection of the Harvard Museum of Art features very fine spiral patterns on the foot without any skipping - knife marks. This indicates that the "fine spiral pattern" technique was already quite mature during the Yuan Dynasty. This Yuan blue - and - white piece in the Harvard Museum is currently the only intact Yuan blue - and - white porcelain in museums around the world with "fine spiral patterns" (machine - like patterns) on the foot.

5、Figure 29 below：

Clear and fine spiral patterns left by the trimming process on the neck of the plate - shaped mouth of this elephant - ear vase (photographed with a 60 - watt light bulb inside). We can clearly observe the fine and regular "spiral patterns" left by the concentric rotation when the Yuan - dynasty kiln workers trimmed the embryo with a bamboo knife. These spiral - pattern lines are very smooth, rounded, and without any knife - mark drops.

6、Figure 30 below：

Display and Interpretation of the Milky - white Joint - clay Joining Technique

It can be seen that both this elephant - ear vase (on the right) and the fragment of the Yuan blue - and - white plum - blossom vase (on the left) adopt the sectional joining technique and have obvious joining - trace marks. Additionally, we can observe that there are some traces of "milky - white joint - clay" remaining on the inner wall of this elephant - ear vase, which are exactly the same in color as the "milky - white joint - clay" on the fragment of the Yuan blue - and - white plum - blossom vase I collected (the devil is in the details).

Through the above comparisons, it can be seen that the "fine spiral patterns" of this elephant - ear vase are identical to those of the Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shard owned by netizen Ma Hongjun from Guangzhou, the foot of the Yuan blue - and - white plate in the Harvard Museum, and the two Yuan blue - and - white porcelain shards I painstakingly collected. They are all "as fine as silk and without knife marks", and their spiral - pattern techniques are almost identical.

Therefore, it can be affirmed that there was a "wheel - turning and bamboo - knife embryo - trimming" technique for the foot or inner wall of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain. And this embryo - trimming process would leave very regular and knife - mark - free fine spiral patterns. Some experts claim that the bodies of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain were all made by pressing molds and then wiped with a cloth on the inner wall. This is nonsense. What kind of cloth could wipe out such evenly fine spiral - pattern marks?

It is generally believed that Yuan blue - and - white porcelain was formed by mold - imprinting the embryo, made in sections and joined together. Obvious "milky - white" joining marks are usually left at the joining parts. Most inner walls would show traces of the mold - imprinting technique, and very few inner walls would have the very regular and fine spiral patterns left after "bamboo - knife" embryo - trimming.

This "fine and dense spiral - pattern" technique on the inner wall of Yuan blue - and - white porcelain was not recognized by the cultural heritage and museum community for a long time. Even now, some experts in the cultural heritage and museum system still do not recognize or even reject this technique. Jingdezhen counterfeiters also disdain this technique, and this "fine spiral - pattern on the inner wall" technique has not appeared in Yuan blue - and - white imitations.

I've always been thinking that hand - drawn embryos would not produce such fine spiral patterns. Only the inner wall or foot trimming might result in such fine spiral patterns. However, with the mold - imprinting technique, the inner wall is relatively regular. Is it necessary to trim the embryo like this? Is it necessary to make it so fine? I really can't figure it out. Are there any porcelain - craft experts who have thought this through?

But now, thinking about it, precisely because my elephant - ear vase has this extremely rare "fine - as - silk" inner - wall spiral - pattern technique, it shows that this elephant - ear vase is genuine. Because counterfeiters would never dream of using this technique that has not been recognized by the cultural heritage and museum community to fake. Moreover, even in 2024, this "fine and dense spiral - pattern on the inner wall" technique still has not been recognized by experts. It's really as if God has opened a window for me.

Having said so much about the fine spiral - pattern technique, it reminds me of a saying: At night, when one dog in the village barks, other dogs bark too, but they don't know why.

Nie Guohua, a Pioneer in the Research of Yuan - Dynasty Blue - and - White Porcelain among Chinese Folk Collectors

IX、 Postscript

Finally, I'd like to share some of my feelings about researching Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain over the past 20 years.

When I acquired this elephant - ear vase, knowing its reliable origin, I was overjoyed. I naively thought that as long as the item was genuine, it would surely be recognized by the country. I completely underestimated the social attributes of cultural relics, apart from their cultural and historical nature, and overestimated my own intelligence.

When I posted pictures of the complete vessel online, no one believed me (99.9% of people didn't). Everyone's mindset and fixed thinking were that only the pair of "crooked - neck" elephant - ear vases in the British Museum were genuine Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white elephant - ear vases, and all others were fake. However, when I posted any partial picture of my elephant - ear vase online for comments, 80% of people approved and liked it, even asking which museum it was from.

In fact, it is extremely difficult for the folk to conduct research and verification on Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain. The main difficulty lies in the fact that it's hard to find a national or international authoritative institution to publish papers on private collections. I've submitted manuscripts, but all of them ended up with no response. The reply from the editor of a national authoritative cultural relics magazine was: "Dear author, your article is very carefully organized. However, our current manuscript - acceptance criteria mainly focus on public collections. In principle, we do not accept articles related to private collections. Unfortunately, your article does not meet our selection criteria. Please submit it to other publications. Looking forward to the opportunity to cooperate in the future."

In 2008, a kind - hearted American netizen, after seeing my paper and the unwarranted attacks on me online, sent me an email saying that it was very difficult to get recognition for such a significant piece in China, and I should try to publish my paper in foreign magazines. He even promised to help me translate it into English. But after I actually sent the manuscript, he said there were too many technical terms, making the translation very difficult.

Moreover, the current collecting environment is unfavorable for folk collectors of Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain. There are mountains of counterfeit Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelains, with everyone seemingly having one, and many people are using these fakes to deceive others. The entire research ecosystem of Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain has been completely damaged.

If we post a complete Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain item online, even if it matches the museum collections, shows obvious signs of age and distinct characteristics of the era, people will immediately jump out and say: "High - quality imitation! High - quality imitation! If you don't believe it, go to Jingdezhen and see. The more real - looking it is, the faker it must be. We need to be vigilant against more sophisticated scammers."

Some people even directly curse: "A person's falsity reflects the falsity of the item. The poster is crazy about money!" Some even insulted me as a street - walking prostitute looking for clients.

There are also those who say that the so - called "National Treasure Gang" has a high - level of theoretical knowledge and they like to write papers to prove that their items are genuine. This is a common trick of the "National Treasure Gang". For example, we are familiar with Mr. Zhang Qingyu, known as "Desert Traveler", who held a "Yuan - Dynasty Blue - and - White Porcelain Shard Exhibition" in Beijing in November 2024. He is quite a figure in the research of Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain, and the British Museum has even collected his research books on Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain. In March 2007, I posted my 35,000 - word research paper on the elephant - ear vase on Artron.net. At that time, there were only two pictures of the complete elephant - ear vase in the paper, without any detailed pictures. After seeing my article on Artron.net, Mr. Zhang Qingyu, as a moderator on another collecting website, made fun of me, saying that there was a certain netizen on Artron who had collected an elephant - ear vase and written a tens - of - thousands - word article to prove its authenticity. Hehe! This person is daydreaming. How could that thing be real? The real one is in the UK.

As a folk researcher of Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain, I never expected that this elephant - ear vase would attract so much criticism and that I would be classified as part of the "National Treasure Gang". Of course, there were also those who supported me, but I won't elaborate on them one by one. However, the encouragement from a netizen named "Art Master" on Artron.net is something I will never forget.

I've always believed that when it comes to folk collections, we should maintain an ordinary and realistic attitude. For items that match museum collections, those unearthed from strata, kiln sites, or tombs, or those with obvious characteristics of the era, we should affirm and approve them, and voice our fair and just opinions.

The picture below shows that there were those who cursed me and those who encouraged me. This netizen named "Art Master" on Artron.net said in my post about the "elephant - ear vase" on January 14th, 2008: "I've been following your situation on various websites. You've exhausted all your energy for Yuan - dynasty blue - and - white porcelain. You've worked so hard!" To be honest, this sentence was the greatest spiritual encouragement to me. Thank you! Thank this netizen from Tianjin on Artron.net.