Zhao Qirui found it rather unbelievable when he heard that. "Isn't it just a matter of sticking some shells, coral, and the like onto porcelain? What's so hard to see through?"
Teacher Chu said with a smile, "To be honest, ordinary fakes of salvaged porcelain are fairly easy to distinguish. No matter how they're forged or imitated—even if several years are spent on the process—they still can't achieve the appearance of 'ancient porcelain,' especially when it comes to natural weathering."
"So, the fakes on the market generally can't compare with genuine pieces that have soaked in the sea for over a hundred, or even several hundred, years. But as the saying goes, the onlooker sees more clearly than the participant. People are ultimately subjective in their thinking, and sometimes it's perfectly normal for them to suddenly become obsessed. Otherwise, experts wouldn't sometimes make mistakes in their own fields of expertise."
"That's true." Zhao Qirui nodded. If everyone kept a clear head when buying antiques, many fakes wouldn't have any opportunity to take advantage of them. But that was obviously impossible. Otherwise, the forgers would have gone out of business and changed careers long ago.
"So, is this jar genuine or fake?"
Teacher Chu said, "The overall decoration is elaborate without being chaotic, the blue-and-white pigment is rich and vibrant, the brushwork is fluid and concise, and the figures are vivid and lively. It has extremely high ornamental and collectible value. It can be considered a rather fine piece of Qing Kangxi salvaged porcelain."
Zhao Qirui chuckled and pointed at another piece of porcelain. "What about this one?"
The piece Zhao Qirui pointed to was a blue-and-white bowl. It also bore traces of being export porcelain, with sand stuck around the foot. Blue-and-white designs had been painted across the body. Double-string