Ye Peilan: To conduct identification, we must understand the real thing, and there are very few opportunities for collectors to contact the real thing

Reporter: You once said that you must understand the real thing to conduct appraisal, but now collectors do not have the same good conditions as you did back then, how to solve this problem?

Ye Peilan: Collectors now have this problem, they have less access to the real thing. Some people say that Teacher Ye has been studying for more than 20 years. How to study is to compare your own things with the books we write. In fact, modern imitations are what the book says what features there are, and what to do for you. The book says there are spots, there are flint red, and imitations are all there. But what the spots of the real thing are, what the flint is red, they don't know, as long as they agree with the book, they think that their own things are right.

I came to work in the Forbidden City in the 1950s and grew up in the Forbidden City. The environment of the Forbidden City is the most able to cultivate people in terms of identification, because the Forbidden City is complete in both ancient and modern treasures, even the Polylithic faience pottery. I had to go into the storeroom every day for decades and get close to porcelain. What I learned in the Forbidden City for 40 years exists in my brain is a computer, and now the contrast between the things I see is very large, and I can judge it at a glance.

I think that collectors still have to go to museums to see the real thing, and they must understand the charm of glaze. Look at the pattern to see the color to find the feeling, although you can't hold it in your hand to see, look more, if you have understanding, it is also very easy.

Reporter: What advice do you have for porcelain collectors who are now in the industry or are looking to enter the industry?

Ye Peilan: My advice is not to blindly buy. If it is a hobby, it should be bought to play, on the one hand, it can be appreciated, and if it is identified as a little age, it is even better. If you buy it wrong, it doesn't matter if you don't have much money. But if hundreds of thousands of people are given to others at once, if they can't be refunded, it will be a big loss.

Now some collectors have thousands of pieces in their collections, and often I go to see them and find that they are all ordinary things. In fact, antiques are very precious, in the past, the families of antiques were quite rich, and now it is an abnormal phenomenon that all the people are soldiers. Antique collection is also a very elegant cultural accomplishment, such as the great collector Zhang Boju, he donated to the Forbidden City of only a few pieces of cultural relics, but each piece is a first-class treasure, such as Qianlong enamel color, how precious. And these big collectors really know how to do it. Now a lot of collection, in fact, is just a kind of market behavior, want to make some money, three or five hundred yuan to buy and sell a few thousand yuan can also be, in fact, people really hide the treasure is to pass on the grandchildren.

Reporter: There are too many imitations on the market now, what should collectors do?

Ye Peilan: Counterfeiting is a very normal phenomenon, and there were many imitations in the Republic of China. Now the antique technology is better. In the past, antiques were kiln workers, and the cultural level and quality in all aspects were not as good as those of today. Sometimes I tell collectors that the concept of collecting can be changed, if you have the brain and vision, you can buy some modern fine imitations, and there is room for appreciation at reasonable prices.

When I retire, I have a whole block of time to slowly sort out my porcelain appraisal experience. I've been trying to summarize some of the identification methods that can be used to get to the point for collectors. Maybe this is my nosy business, there are many collectors who are not willing to identify their own things, but I always want to give collectors an understanding.

Qingqianlong White glaze darkly engraved tangled lotus pattern high foot bowl