In Shanghai, the early autumn rain brought with it a sticky dampness, hitting the fence of the "Mirror Garden" restoration project, causing tiny splashes of water. Xiang Pansen, wearing work clothes stained with gray, squatted in front of the brick screen wall that had been washed white by the rain. His fingertips brushed a broken "Squirrel Grape" brick carving component, and he frowned slightly.
"Gong Xiang, I'm afraid the fragments of the dragon scales of the 'Guozhilong' cannot be repaired using the traditional 'sliding seam' technique. Party A is urging for acceptance at the end of the month." Assistant Xiao Lin held a stack of drawings, his tone full of anxiety.
Mirror Garden is a private garden in the late Qing Dynasty and early Republic of China. The brick carvings in the garden are known as "the unique brick carvings in the south of the Yangtze River", especially the "Hundred Sons in Spring" on the screen wall of the main entrance. The characters have different expressions and the clothes are wrinkled as they are, but they have been seriously damaged by the wind and rain for a hundred years. For this restoration project, Party A named Xiang Pansen to take the lead. This 32-year-old brick carver is not only a national intangible cultural heritage inheritor, but also created a unique technique of "digital reproduction + traditional manual repair carving", which has given a new life to many ancient brick carvings that were on the verge of damage.
Without raising his head, Xiang Pansen took out a homemade "willow leaf carving knife" from his tool bag. The blade was as thin as a cicada's wing, but the blade shone with a cold light. "What's the hurry? Let's scan the remaining parts into the system first to see the direction of the dragon scales and the sword skills." He stood up and pointed to the mobile workstation not far away. "The scales of this 'cross-branch dragon' were made using the 'stun retraction method'. The depth of each scale is different. The original craftsman's strength in wielding the sword must be restored first."
