An Extremely Unexpected Discovery

The paper-hammer vase in Chu Chen's hands had a handsome, upright shape, with a straight rim and a full body. Its surface was densely covered in elaborate decorations arranged in rich layers. Scrollwork was painted along the rim, beneath which were three groups of peony branches, while the shoulder was decorated with scrollwork and inverted lotus patterns.

Below the folded shoulder, the paper-hammer vase bulged prominently. Its entwined floral patterns corresponded with those along the lower edge of the body. Ten medallions protruded from the body, each containing various floral branch designs. The brushwork was skilled, and the blue-and-white coloring was deep, elegant, and subdued, revealing much of the lingering charm of Yongxuan blue. Scrollwork was also painted around the foot, echoing the scrollwork on the rim and shoulder.

In addition, the bottom of the vase bore a six-character regular-script mark in underglaze blue within double circles: "Made during the Qing Kangxi reign."

Judging from the vase's neat form, its painting technique, and the color of its underglaze blue, this paper-hammer vase was undoubtedly a fine imperial-kiln piece. However, it was the mark on the bottom that exposed its flaw.

At first glance, the characters of the mark appeared dignified and orderly, vigorous and powerful, with relatively wide spacing between them. They looked very much like an authentic mark. But on closer inspection, that was not the case. If the mark were genuine, every stroke should have a distinct pause and pressure, while the final horizontal stroke of the character "year" should be positioned high, with the vertical stroke in the middle extending far downward.

The mark on the paper-hammer vase before him clearly lacked these features. The mark was certainly problematic, and since the mark was wrong, it was not difficult to determine whether the vase was genuine.

Moreover,