Fascinating Gaomi Clay Figurines
By admin on 2015-01-14

Gaomi clay sculptures are produced mainly in Niejiazhuang Village, Gaomi County, Shandong province. The sculptures have a long history, dating back more than 400 years. In the Long Qing and Wan Li periods of the Ming Dynasty, farmers in Gaomi began to design and make a kind of clay firework called "Guo Zihua" (also called "Ni Dunzi") for sale. Later, they began to shape the clay base in which the firework was put into the form of a doll. After the fireworks were set off, the clay dolls could be used as toys or decorations.

More and more kinds of clay figurines have come into being as artists’ skills and creativity have improved. Common subjects for the figurines include animals like the tiger, lion, monkey, dog, cat, chicken and duck, legendary stories such as the White Snake, Sun Wukong, the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid and Pigsy's Wife on His Back, and mythical figures such as the Guanyin Bodhisattva, Maitreya Buddha and the Eight Immortals. There are also many clay figurines with sound effects. These figurines are made lively through their coloring.

Today the clay figurines are no longer fireworks' containers, but have become a kind of independent handicraft. In the Qian Long period of the Qing Dynasty, Niejiazhuang Village clay sculptures took on some of the artistic features of the Yangjiabu New-Year Paintings and made a breakthrough in their techniques of expression and coloring. Gradually, sound effects were added as well. At this point, the clay figurines have become a combination of sound, color and motion. These clay toys are commonly seen at country fairs and temple fairs in Weifang City.

There are a lot of folk rhymes about clay figurines. A very popular one is "The baby is crying and looking for his Mom. His Mom buys a clay doll for him that makes him laugh". We can see how popular clay toys were then. However, with the emergence of amazing modern toys, clay figurines have lost much of their original role as toys. Now they mainly function as collectible items and decorations. At present, the clay figurines are retained as a folk art and exhibited frequently at international fairs. They have long enjoyed a good reputation internationally and are sold to dozens of foreign countries and regions.

Gao Xiwei, the 20th generation of Niejiazhuang Village clay sculpture in Gaomi County, has been working on clay sculpture for 50 years. He has made a lot of bold creations based on traditional techniques. His works, which are very popular, are beautifully designed and brightly colored. He has won the title of "Chinese Folk Outstanding Cultural Inheritor" and the title of "Shandong Intangible Cultural Heritage Inheritor". Today, there are 450 households in Niejiazhuang, but only 40 to 50 of them work on clay sculptures. Artists are mostly above 60 years old.

In recent years, the Gaomi municipal Party Committee and municipal government have strengthened the protection of Niejiazhuang Village clay sculptures. They promote publicity for them and organize folk artists to attend sales exhibitions. They also enhance communication among artists by inviting experts to give lessons. A lot of actions have been taken to promote this folk art. We believe that in the near future, the art of Niejiazhuang Village clay sculptures, with its unique charm, will become even more vigorous and lively.