1. Regarding the issue of medication for making paste
The purpose of medication is to "remove beetles", and this method has been around for a long time. According to historical records, paper was dyed with barberry sap and orpiment, frankincense and pepper were used to make paste, and musk or papaya was stored in the painting cabinet, all to prevent moths. Adding spices to the paste not only prevents moths, but also prevents mildew. However, most of today's framers have canceled the process of making pastes for use as medicine because they find it too troublesome. This approach is worrying. The method of making the paste recorded in Zhang Yanyuan's "Records of Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties", adding a small amount of incense and beeswax to the medicine, is also very effective. Because of its translucent color, this paste is very suitable for framing or inlaying. "It is not appropriate to add beeswax to the paste, and beeswax cannot be blended with the paste. Zhang Yanyuan recorded this in "Records of Famous Paintings of the Past Dynasties": "The official endorsement of the Duke of Pi has little wax in the painting, and it must be densely moistened. , this method is appropriate. "To add less wax" here is not to add beeswax to the paste, but to use a kind of paper called "hard yellow" to cover the back. Because "hard yellow" is made of barberry juice and beeswax, it is The "hard yellow" "backing painting" containing beeswax can make the mounted piece more "dense and moist". Later, this method evolved into the process of rubbing wax and calendering. The purpose is also to make the mounted piece more "dense and moist" and smooth.
2. Regarding the issue of alum for making paste
The purpose of adding alum to starch water is to promote better precipitation of starch. Anti-corrosion has three purposes: first, using alum-added paste to support dyeing silk can prevent fading; second, using alum-added paste to support the ink color of calligraphy and painting; third, using alum-added paste to prevent inlay work The seams are cracked. The author believes that whether you are mounting new paintings or unmounting or repairing old paintings, you should use alum carefully. If you use too much alum, it will cause the mounting to become brittle and hard. It will be difficult to unmount in the future, which is extremely detrimental to the long-term transmission of calligraphy and painting.
3. Regarding the problem of raw and cooked pastes
The raw paste has strong viscosity but is perishable. It is common sense that those that are overripe are not perishable, but those that are overripe are not perishable, but those that are overripe have low viscosity. In fact, the more mature the paste, the stronger its viscosity, while the opposite is true for the more mature paste. It is not ruled out that during low-temperature weather, an over-cooked and over-thick paste will look like cooked egg white after cooling, but this does not mean that such a paste will lose its proper viscosity. The key lies in how to prepare it. Regarding the issue of rawness and ripeness of paste, my book "The Art of Mounting Calligraphy and Painting" once stated: "When making paste, you must pay great attention to the heat and thickness. If it is too thick and overcooked, it will be too pulpy. It often contains small lumps, which is difficult to prepare and affects its use; if it is too raw or too thin, it will not have enough viscosity and is easy to ferment, which will also affect its use. The degree of rawness and thickness of the prepared paste will also vary depending on the season. In seasons with higher temperatures, the paste should be made slightly more cooked, because thinner and less heated pastes are easier to ferment; while in seasons with lower temperatures, the paste can be made slightly thinner and with slightly less heat. It’s common knowledge in the industry that freshly made paste cannot be used immediately.”
IV. But how long should it be stored before it can be used? The Tuesday Study of the Qing Dynasty required in "Appreciating Yan Su Xin Lu": "Ten days before making paste in summer, and one month before making paste in spring and autumn." Today's writings also emphasize making paste for one week. Can be used later. The author believes that this is only a theoretical concept. If the paste is made during high-temperature seasons (including late spring and early autumn), even if the water is changed every day and soaked, it will inevitably not ferment and deteriorate after seven days, let alone storage for ten days or a month. Practice has proved that the paste can be used on the third day after it is made, and it does not have a big impact on the quality of the mounted parts.
The packaging of the paste can be casual, but if it is packaged in bottles, for the sake of user convenience, it is better to attach an applicator with a plastic or thin bamboo tube to each bottle. If the paste can be made according to scientific methods, it can make it less likely to dry out, stink and become moldy. To make fragrant paste, glycerin is added to the raw materials to keep them moist; alum and liquid carbolic acid are added to sterilize and prevent decay. It has good viscosity and durability, has a fragrant smell and is widely used.