The three experts had all witnessed Li Mo's "Finger Finger Debate" with their own eyes, and they were deeply shocked as they were the best in the world in appraising porcelain.
Now that I heard him say that there is a "natural hand" for appraising calligraphy and paintings, my curiosity became even more intense.
"No need to think about it, Li Mo, I will leave this painting to you."
I’ve given up anyway, just in case a miracle happens!
Li Mo looked at Director Fu and said, "Please prepare three things, ice cubes, candles and a basin of room temperature water. Then turn on the heat air conditioner and adjust the temperature to around 30 degrees."
"Note that the basin containing the water is wider than the width of this painting."
Although the tools used to identify a painting are rather strange, Director Fu still went to prepare them himself.
About ten minutes later, someone informed everyone to go to another office. An independent air conditioner was already running, and hot air was slowly blowing out.
"Xiao Mo, can I take a photo?"
"Yes, it would be a happy thing if someone could understand the essence of it. This is something that Master and I have discussed a long time ago. Don't keep it to yourself."
Curator Fu nodded to a staff member, who quickly turned on the shooting equipment. The three necessary things were already placed on the long table. Li Mo took off his coat, revealing his strong body underneath.
Fortunately, after a few days of recuperation, the wound on the shoulder no longer requires the use of gauze, otherwise everyone would notice the abnormality at this moment.
Although Li Mo was unsure, it was still a pity to see an authentic work of Shi Tao being disposed of like waste paper. No matter whether it was successful or not, it was worth a try.
The office fell silent.
Li Mo opened "Plum Blossoms and Bamboo Pictures under the Moon" and said in a powerful voice: "Before making the appraisal, you need to know more about Shi Tao. Shi Tao, formerly known as Zhu Ruoji, is a descendant of the Ming Dynasty royal family. Like Bada Shanren, he was one of the four monks in the early Qing Dynasty. one."
"The landscapes, orchids, bamboos, flowers and fruits, and figures he painted were of a new style, good at changing compositions, unbridled brushwork, and wild and novel artistic conceptions. They were contrary to the antique style of the time, and modern ink paintings were greatly influenced by him."
"To identify whether this painting is an authentic work by Shi Tao, you can start with the paper used for the painting, the composition and conception of the painting, and the identification seal of the painting."
Li Mo pinched the ice cube with his thumb and index finger on his right hand. After about fifteen seconds, he quickly pinched the drawing paper tightly. After releasing it, he took a look and said, "It's ribbed paper."
Ribbed paper has been produced in the Song Dynasty. The production method is to narrow the distance between silk threads or horsetail patterns when weaving paper curtains. When fishing out the paper, the silk threads and bamboo stripes are crisscrossed and printed on the paper to form ribs. You can also carve a ribbed pattern on a hardwood board and then lay it on paper.
"This kind of paper was no longer produced and used in the late Qing Dynasty. It is not a precious paper, so it has no collection value. Modern imitations can basically be ruled out."
Surprise appeared on the faces of the Qin brothers and sisters.
Several experts also nodded approvingly. Li Mo's foundation was very solid, and few people studied this side knowledge.
"Xiao Mo, can you tell me why ice cubes are used?"
Director Fu asked a little embarrassed.
Li Mo didn't hold anything back. He said loudly: "Firstly, it can cool down and prevent the drawing paper from suddenly heating up. Secondly, it can make the surface of the skin moist without condensation. If there is condensation between the two fingers, it may be possible when the drawing paper is squeezed tightly. It will directly soak it and cause obvious damage.”
Only then did everyone suddenly realize.
"Next, let's look at the composition of the picture. The plum and bamboo are clearly layered, complementing each other, and the brush strokes are strange. It may be due to improper storage for a long time that the whole picture becomes stiff and lacks vitality."
Li Mo said this and lit the candle.
He took two deep breaths, his eyes became bright, he rubbed the scroll with his right hand, and the whole painting rolled up, and then it was submerged in the water under the horrified eyes of everyone.
What do you want to do? Old paintings are relatively fragile. Wouldn't they be destroyed immediately after being soaked in water?
Just when everyone's hearts were in their throats, Li Mo stretched out his hand to grab and flick the painting, and the whole painting spread out again. He could see him holding the scroll with both hands and shaking it gently, causing water droplets to splash everywhere.
The painting is like a snake, with its body rising and falling in waves. The strength of his hands was just right. When the water on the surface of the painting was almost shaking, Li Mo stopped moving. Everyone hurriedly came forward to check, and then everyone looked stunned.
Under their gaze, the painting absorbed the remaining moisture, just like a shriveled seed absorbing moisture, changing at a speed visible to the naked eye. The original rigidity became a little more alive, as if it was reborn with life.
Everyone seemed to see a scene of swaying bamboo leaves and fragrant plum blossoms.
This is the artistic conception that Shi Tao's paintings can reflect.
Li Mo didn't give them time to marvel. He moved his hands and placed the entire painting under the hot air outlet of the air conditioner. He constantly changed the position and angle so that every part could absorb heat evenly and remove moisture.
About three minutes later, he held the painting and came to the candle again, slowly baking the vague seal position at a specific distance and height.
It's so deadly. This kind of playing with water and fire makes everyone almost terrified when they see it. If he was not careful, the painting would be ignited by the flames. Qin Siqi was so scared that she closed her eyes and did not dare to look again.
Li Mo was concentrating on it, sweating on his head. He felt the changes in the temperature of the flame while observing the changes in the seal.
After just a moment, the blurry seal slowly became clear.
Li Mo once again transferred the painting to the hot air outlet. This process of transformation was repeated three times in a row. When everyone watched and held their breath, Li Mo shook his hand again, and the painting fell flat on the dry ground.
He wiped the sweat on his forehead, looked at the clearly identifiable seal and shouted happily: "It is undoubtedly Shi Tao's original work."
The hand of heaven succeeded.
Even Li Mo himself was so excited that his blood boiled with excitement, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.
"Let's see quickly."
The three experts ignored everything and pushed Li Mo aside. They squatted down and took a closer look. Shi Tao's seal was clearly visible.
No wonder this move is called the hand of heaven. These are the hands that create miracles.
The three of them were really impressed by Li Mo's unique skills. As long as there was a slight mistake in this process, Shi Tao's original painting "Plum Blossoms and Plum Blossoms Under the Moon" would be completely destroyed.
Soaking in water, blowing in the wind, roasting in the fire, every process was timed so perfectly that they wouldn't even dare to think about it.
No wonder he said that success or failure is only a 50-50 number.
"Is this a magic trick?"
The staff member in charge of the filming swallowed a mouthful of saliva. She still hasn't recovered yet. What she saw was really dazzling and thrilling.
Qin Sijun squeezed to the side of the painting and was extremely excited. He was very grateful to Li Mo in his heart.
Li Mo put on his coat and went out, let them all be excited for a while.
The air outside was fresh, and after taking a few breaths, Li Mo felt a little pain from the stab wound on his shoulder. It was probably because the wound had been involved just now. He took off his clothes and took a look. Fortunately, the wound did not burst.
A feeling of exhaustion welled up in his heart. His concentration had consumed a lot of energy. Now he really wanted to lie down and have a good sleep.
