The group left the heavily guarded craftsmanship center and came to the craftsman area where there was a lot of people. The surroundings were suddenly filled with the breath of life. Just like the solemn and solemn elegance, it turned into relaxed and cheerful folk music, flowing into the bustling market together with the waterways between the blocks.
The sun has not reached noon, and there is no smoke in the craftsman area. Common people only eat two meals a day, and they are busy at this time.
The top craftsman is the jade craftsman. Not far ahead, a middle-aged jade craftsman was carefully carving the jade in his hand, carving a delicate and clumsy face of the god on it. As the carving knife circulates, the jade is crisp and sweet, like a clear spring dripping into the world.
"A gentleman is like jade. He is like cutting with each other, like polishing."
Shulot approached silently. He watched with a smile, his mind drifting away.
Central America is rich in jade. In the understanding passed down from ancient times, jade is the "stone of pain", which can cure or relieve various pains and bring prosperity, success and good luck. In sacred sacrifices, jade symbolizes life and purity. The main sources of jade are in the southern Mixtec jungles, the Mayan Yucatan Peninsula, and Guatemala.
Beginning in the ninth century BC, the earliest Olmecs had developed mature jade processing technology. They made blue emerald masks, which they called "Olmec Blue." Almost at the same time, the Mayans also began to carve dark green gemstone skulls, which they called "God's Green."
In Mexica society at this time, jade was the most noble divine object, similar to the Celestial Dynasty, Shang and Zhou Dynasties. Jade was enshrined in the temples of the gods. Outside the temple, only the royal family, high-ranking priests and real nobles can use jade decorations.
This prohibition is the most strictly enforced, far exceeding other clothing regulations. If a businessman wears jade in public, it is an extreme offense to the gods and will be severely punished. Not long ago, Tacuria, a big businessman in Tarasco, was arrested in the North City for this crime and was immediately executed. His head was missing.
After a while, the middle-aged jade craftsman finally finished his work. He raised his head, revealing an ordinary face and a pair of quiet and steady eyes. Then, he saw Shulot standing beside him, and upon recognizing him, he immediately knelt down and saluted. The jade craftsmen were firmly controlled by the royal family and the priesthood, and the raw materials of jade also came from the royal family. They often serve the nobles, and the level of nobles' clothing can be seen at a glance.
After the salute, the middle-aged jade craftsman kept his head down and presented a palm-sized jade. The young man took it and saw that the Aztec sun stone calendar was perfectly carved on the palm-square jade surface. Various symbols appear in detail, as fine as mosquitoes and flies, but they are exactly the same.
Shulot was surprised. He recognized the patterns and engravings on the jade and kept nodding. This jade craftsman is an excellent plate maker, and the ongoing experiments in engraving and engraving require such carving precision.
He pondered for a moment, then asked Bertard to leave a jade token as a token to take away the jade and recruit craftsmen. The middle-aged jade craftsman looked at the jade talisman with surprise and joy on his face, and then he knelt down.
"Your Highness, the jadesmith Equila of Tenochtitlan is willing to serve you. Under the witness of the patron saint, I offer my loyalty until death!"
Xiulote nodded slightly, wrote down the jade craftsman's name, and spoke majestically.
"Equila, take the talisman and report to the high priest's residence tomorrow. Don't delay!"
Aquila accepted the order respectfully, keeping his head firmly on the ground. The young man smiled slightly and turned around.
Leaving the jadesmith's area, not far away are the small workshops of goldsmiths and silversmiths. They were second-class craftsmen who also served the nobles and were managed by community leaders.
Shulot moved forward slowly. He waved his hand to stop the craftsmen from saluting, and carefully watched the work of an old goldsmith.
There was a slight sweat on the old goldsmith's forehead, but his hands did not stop at all. The critical moment had now come.
He first took out a clay mold made of fine mud from the high-temperature heated kiln and carefully checked the moisture content in it. The heat transferred in the kiln has hardened the mold's clay coating into a shell. The wax mold in the clay mold has melted and been discharged from the remaining holes. At this time, the clay mold was completely hollow, leaving the shape of the cast object.
Then, the old goldsmith continued to heat the clay mold while melting the gold into liquid. When the temperature of the gold liquid and the clay model were similar and there would be no deformation due to the temperature difference, he carefully poured the gold liquid from the hole above the clay model. The process is slow and steady until the shell is completely filled, leaving no gaps. He then cooled the filled clay mold, allowing the liquid gold to solidify into the shape of the cast object.
Finally, the old goldsmith knocked off the shell, and an exquisite gold mask appeared in front of Shulot. The mask is as thin as cicada wings, with hollow flying patterns. It shines brightly in the midday sun, with a hint of crystal clearness where it flows, as if it were made in heaven.
Shulot was extremely impressed. He stretched out his hand, and the old goldsmith hesitated slightly before handing the golden mask to the young priest. The young man looked at the delicate mask carefully, looking for the holes in it.
This is a gold object cast using the lost wax method. That is, first use wax to make the mold to be cast, and then wrap it with clay. Then the clay mold is baked, the wax mold is melted, metal liquid is injected, and the mold is cooled and formed. This casting method sounds simple, but the details are extremely particular. Craftsmen must have superb clay molding skills and good control of the heat to prevent pores and voids from appearing in the castings.
Shulot looked around repeatedly and found no flaws in the golden mask. So he nodded slightly and returned the mask to the old goldsmith, who was obviously relieved.
The young man smiled slightly, and then felt happy in his heart. The lost wax method can be used to make fine goldware, as well as to cast fine bronze and ironware, as well as all finely processed parts. More importantly, this clay mold casting method can be used to make matchlocks and bronze cannons of this era, as well as future flintlocks!
Shulot continued to look at other gold objects. From delicate earrings the size of a flintlock trigger, to a solid gold staff the length of a matchlock barrel, to a one-piece cast statue the size of a small bronze cannon, the more the boy looked at it, the more satisfied he became. As long as the craftsman's casting level is sufficient, the casting cost is not a problem at all for a wealthy and powerful alliance.
Then, the young man pondered for a moment, recalling the proportions of gunpowder and looking for the stable source of saltpeter in his memory. After a moment, he sighed softly. The road is still long, and the development of the times cannot be achieved overnight.
Thinking of this, Shulot silently wrote down the information of the goldsmiths. Likely or not, they would become the first coppersmiths and blacksmiths of the future. Finally, with a wave of his hand, he went to the areas of carpenters, stonemasons and potters amid the bows of the craftsmen.
Carpenters, stonemasons, and potters served society as a whole, and there was a strict hierarchy of occupations within them.
Usually, they started as apprentices, making daily necessities and tools for the common people. As their skills improve, ordinary craftsmen will serve merchants and warriors, making exquisite utensils. If they can make another breakthrough in their craftsmanship, they can become senior craftsmen serving the nobles.
The top master craftsmen will directly serve the royal family and the chief priests, and have a noble status similar to that of a warrior, just like the old carpenter Kuaud. Master stonemasons and carpenters would be involved in the construction of the most revered temples, while master potters would burn funerary objects for the departed sama.
Carpenters make household furniture, build roof beams for houses, and carve wooden sculptures and works of art. They are also responsible for the production of helmets and longbows in military production. Kuaud has already introduced a lot of this industry information in detail.
Shulot skipped the carpenter and went directly to the masons' area. After a full four thousand years of the Stone Age, the stone craftsmanship of Mesoamerica has reached its peak. Masons have an extremely clear understanding of the properties and applications of various stones.
The young man came to the largest stonemason's workshop. The tall and burly stonemason was slightly confused at first, then laughed and welcomed the young high priest. He had a loud voice and enthusiastically introduced various expensive obsidian handicrafts.
Shulot smiled and admired the dazzling array of stone tools.
He first saw the highly polished obsidian mirror. When he pointed it at the mirror, he saw a handsome and delicate face, even the strong eyebrows were clearly visible. Then, he saw a pair of exquisite earplugs. The tentacles were warm and smooth, and they should have been ground from pebbles by the river. The young man put it in his ears, and the tinkling sound of stone tools disappeared.
Next, Shulot saw another obsidian cup with thin walls and exquisite patterns. He took it and held it in his hand to look at it, admiring it again and again.
The shape of obsidian is both brittle and hard. Being able to carve out a water cup with a thickness of less than half a centimeter in obsidian means strictly controlling the texture and properties of the stone, and making every cut exactly the same. Without decades of hard work and outstanding talent, this kind of skill would be unthinkable, let alone taking advantage of the carving process to carve such natural and beautiful patterns.
Finally, Shulot's hand passed over the rows of obsidian sharp blades and stopped on the thinnest oval obsidian lens. Then place the lenses over your eyes and look toward the sky. This is a special eyepiece for priests, as thin as a leaf. Through the lens, you can directly observe the dazzling sun.
Through the filtering and blocking of the lenses, the young man saw small changing dots appearing on the bright sun. The priests believed that this change was the language of the gods, while the boy thought that it should be sunspots.
Shulot was lost in thought. These master stonemasons should be able to help him in firing the glass.
Glass is a low-cost and extremely profitable trade product, and is loved by all tribes in the Americas. Colonists throughout history often used shiny glass beads to coax native Americans and Africans in exchange for hundreds of times more expensive goods, and even precious and priceless land.
Sintered glass not only earned huge rewards, but also weakened future colonists in disguise. It's a pity that the young man doesn't know the specific process, but only the general principle. If you want to truly make something, you can only rely on the trial and error of craftsmen.
Shulot pondered, nodded first, then shook his head, and then sighed softly. Then, in the same ups and downs of the stonemason leader's mood, he picked up the stone mirror, earplugs, water glass and lenses.
The mason leader finally smiled with surprise. He looked at the young priest brilliantly.
"Dear Priest, there are two bags of gold sand in total. Each bag must weigh at least more than the standard stone."
As he spoke, the leader of the masons pointed to a simple wooden scale, with a squared stone placed on one end of the scale.
Shulot's smile faltered. He touched his body and found nothing. Then he looked at Bertard. The poor captain of the guard only took out two talismans and a few sweet and sour cocoa beans for snacks.
The young man thought for a moment. This stonemason leader is indeed very skilled and can be recruited into his own technical team. So he took out a jade talisman and handed it to the mason leader with a majestic expression.
The leader of the masons held the jade talisman and looked at it for a moment, looking puzzled. Then he weighed the jade talisman and frankly showed his dissatisfaction.
"Master Priest, this piece of jade has been engraved with strange square patterns and is no longer worth processing. It is also too light. Even if it is sold to a noble, it will only be worth half a bag of gold sand!"
Xiulote's face darkened, and of course his name was engraved on the jade talisman. He looked at the mason leader with some perseverance and majesty.
The leader of the masons shrank back, looked at the young man's handsome face, and speculated on the young man's priest level. Then he tried to hold his head high, widened his eyes, and looked bravely at the young man.
"Master Priest, I can't take all these four things for you. I, Lozano, am the best stonemason in this area, and I make the best things in this area! Well, the earplugs are not valuable, so I can give them to you. The rest is If it’s a stone mirror, a cup or a lens, you can only exchange this jade charm for one thing!”
Shulot had a dark face and said nothing.
Bertard smiled. He stepped forward, and under the vigilant gaze of the mason leader, he suddenly took action very quickly and easily restrained the other party's resistance. Then, before the mason leader shouted for help, the warrior chief whispered something.
The stonemason leader's expression froze and he looked at Bertard in disbelief. The warrior commander nodded slightly. Immediately, he looked at Shulot again. The young man's face was expressionless.
"You...don't try to lie to me! I, Lozano, am the best stonemason in this area, and I am well-informed! How could your noble highnesses come to this craftsman area?"
Bertard shook his head. He pinched his lower lip and let out an eagle cry. Soon, more than a dozen elite warriors poured in from outside the workshop door. The warriors were wearing leather armor, holding a shield in one hand and a copper ax in the other. Their faces were as solemn as stone sculptures, exuding awe-inspiring power.
Facing the chilling samurai, the craftsmen in the workshop all knelt on the ground, trembling. Lozano looked dull. He opened his mouth wide and looked at the noble family crests on the leather armors of the warriors. After a long time, the best mason fell to his knees with a plop, and his forehead hit the ground with a thud. Then I was sweating profusely and speechless.
Shulot sighed. This kind of bloody situation was really not what he expected to encounter. He pondered for a moment and then spoke majestically.
"Lozano, you have been recruited by the royal family. Take the talisman and go to the high priest's residence tomorrow without delay!"
After saying that, the young man turned and left. After taking two steps, he thought of something again and turned back to add.
"I took the things. Two bags of gold sand. You can go to the high priest's house to get them tomorrow."
Just as Lozano raised his big head to take a peek, he looked directly at the boy who suddenly turned around. The leader of the masons was so frightened that he lowered his head vigorously again, and there was another bang.
Looking at this scene, Shulot's forehead hurt slightly. He shook his head, smiled again, turned around and left without looking back.
The sun was setting slightly in the west, and the group finally arrived at the potter's area. Under the bright sunshine, the pottery with various glazes is dazzlingly gilded, and the bright patterns outline vivid flowers, birds, fish and insects. The images flow around like life.
Shulot did not enter the workshop again. He just walked slowly on the street and carefully watched the work of potters on both sides. The potters are mainly women, as in the early tribal times.
They evenly added the mixed clay into the mold, coiled it into different shapes, then used a scraper to smooth the surface, and then polished it with a special stone tool. The shaped pottery is then burned in a campfire or simple kiln to allow the clay to harden into pottery. Finally, apply various colors to draw bright patterns. The patterns of pottery should be closer to daily life, and the proportion of gods should be significantly reduced.
With the help of molds and pottery kilns, pieces of pottery for daily use are formed one after another. Mushroom molds are ideal for creating shaped plates, bowls and cup bases. The concave mold is suitable for making pots of different sizes. These pots are connected vertically at the corners of the bottom and the thickness can be accurately controlled.
Shulot watched with interest. In front of a larger pottery workshop, he even saw pottery flowers made from molds, pottery canoes, small warrior figurines, and a small Mayan toy car. These handicrafts were prepared for noble families, so they were quite exquisitely made and all were glazed.
Then, the young man picked up a colorful pottery bowl and looked at it carefully. The body of the bowl is made of colorful glazes of animals and plants, which are vividly depicted. The bottom of the bowl is a neat cross-shaped grid, each grid is only half the size of a fingernail. He looked at Bertard with some confusion.
The warrior commander nodded slightly.
"Your Highness, this is a tool bowl used by common people to grind chili peppers. It can also be used to grind small amounts of corn and beans. The grid pattern is used to grind plants. Small nobles also use this bowl to grind spices and herbs. , the big nobles will use gold or silver bowls.”
Xiulote nodded. He looked at the potter girl walking over. She has an artist's sparkling eyes and a delicate and gentle face.
"How to sell this bowl?"
The potter girl blushed slightly. She looked at the boy's face and hesitated for a moment. Immediately, the girl shook her head firmly and decided to increase the price.
"One big handful, no, two big handfuls of cocoa beans!"
Xiulote calculated in his mind that two large handfuls of cocoa beans were less than a hundred, probably only worth twenty or thirty tortillas, or a few tenths of a bag of gold sand. Ordinary pottery is indeed cheap and a necessity for all civilian life. The art of pottery in Mesoamerica had fully matured and spread, and high-quality clay was once again widely available. Many civilian families make their own pottery.
Xiuluo nodded, and the warrior behind him took out a small tube of gold sand and handed it to the surprised potter girl. Long-term exposure to high-quality white clay kaolin is like using high-end cosmetics all the time, making girls' hands white and translucent, like soft and beautiful porcelain.
The young man stared at the porcelain jade hands and was gradually attracted. He subconsciously reached out and held it, rubbing it slightly, feeling the familiar softness, delicacy and smoothness. His thoughts flew far and wide, until he reached the other side of the distant ocean, the place where he remembered and longed for.
"The wind and dew of nine autumns bloom over the kiln and capture the green color of thousands of peaks."
On the Mexica Plateau, there is no shortage of high-quality raw material soil, but what is lacking is the technology for firing porcelain. If you build a large porcelain kiln, prepare high-temperature charcoal, and try again and again, you can gradually gain experience in making porcelain.
However, this kind of luxury product was not of much help to the Mexicans during the Warring States Period. Simple pottery was enough for daily life. It is better to wait until the world is unified and then make exquisite porcelain to harvest the wealth of the nobles!
Thinking of this, Shulot smiled sadly. He shook the porcelain in his hand again, but felt the soft warmth, and a muffled cry came from his ears. The young man came back to his senses in shock. He raised his head, and in front of him was a girl with a bowed head, and her swan-like neck was already blushing. Her breathing was weak and rapid, and she seemed to have lost her strength and did not make any resistance.
Shulot was stunned for a moment. Then he shook his head and smiled, let go of his hand, took another look, then turned and left without looking back. In just a moment, the young man was far away.
Bertard waved his hand, and the warriors quickly followed the guards. He picked up the colorful bowl that the boy had left in a hurry and forgot to take away, and smiled softly. Then, he looked at the potter girl. The other party was standing on tiptoes, looking away at Li Ren in disappointment. Before I knew it, the golden sand had slipped from my hands to the ground, causing ripples in the pottery tube.
The warrior commander shook his head. He noted down the location of the store and the girl's appearance, and strode away as well.
