Clay Sculpture
01 · Historical Records
Niejiazhuang clay sculpture of Jiangzhuang Town, Gaomi City, Shandong Province, is a variety of clay figurine complete in four respects—form, color, sound, and movement. It is said to have originated in the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty and has a history of more than four hundred years. During the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty, artisans of Niejiazhuang built on the 'guozi hua' (pot fireworks) to create clay varieties such as clay dolls, birds, beasts, and fish, for use in folk activities, family display, and children's play.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
During the Jiaqing reign, Niejiazhuang clay sculpture entered its mature period; the works produced had perfect images, excelling in both sound and color. The production process of Niejiazhuang clay sculpture consists of a dozen or so process steps. The finished pieces are bold and exaggerated in form, childlike, plain, and unaffected; the coloring is bright and striking, the expressions vivid and freehand; and the whole figurine can move and make sounds, giving it strong artistic appeal and vitality. Niejiazhuang clay sculpture originated in the 'guozi hua' of the Wanli reign of the Ming dynasty. During the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty artisans created clay dolls, birds, beasts, fish, and other varieties on this basis, and during the Jiaqing reign it entered its mature period, forming a countenance complete in form, color, sound, and movement. In modeling, cotton wadding is added to fine details such as figures' faces, making the images more delicate and full; the finished pieces are bold and exaggerated in form, childlike, plain, and unaffected, with bright, striking coloring, and the whole figurine can move and make sounds. Nie Xiwei, a fourth-batch national-level representative inheritor, has been engaged in clay sculpture for more than fifty years; building on traditional techniques he has continually strengthened the above characteristics, and he passes on the essentials of the craft to his apprentices and enthusiasts without reserve.
Archival Records of Process Steps
The production process of Niejiazhuang clay sculpture consists of a dozen or so process steps. The finished pieces are bold and exaggerated in form, childlike, plain, and unaffected; the coloring is bright and striking, the expressions vivid and freehand; and the whole figurine can move and make sounds, giving it strong artistic appeal and vitality.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
As an ancient folk craft, Niejiazhuang clay sculpture reflects local social conditions and customs in an artistic way and has become a precious historical and cultural heritage; it carries important reference value for research on Shandong regional culture and folk customs.
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04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Social life is currently undergoing unprecedented change; whether in cities or in towns and villages, the toy market has been rapidly occupied by electric, plastic, plush, and remote-control products, which has dealt a severe blow to the sales of Niejiazhuang clay sculpture. Under these conditions, Niejiazhuang clay sculpture lacks successors and can hardly advance, falling into a developmental predicament and urgently needing protection and support. Nie Xiwei (recorded in the official file of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born in September 1938, from Gaomi City, Shandong Province. He has been engaged in clay sculpture for more than fifty years; building on traditional techniques, he has continually strengthened the Niejiazhuang clay sculpture characteristics of 'form, color, sound, and movement'. He innovated the modeling method, adding cotton wadding to fine details such as figures' faces to make the images more delicate and full; his clay pieces are classic and exaggerated, bold and unrestrained, emphasizing the freehand beauty of spiritual likeness. Representative inheritor of Clay Figurine (Niejiazhuang Clay Sculpture), a fourth-batch national-level intangible cultural heritage item. He passes on the essentials of the craft to his apprentices and enthusiasts without reserve, and has trained a large number of newcomers in the transmission of Niejiazhuang clay sculpture art.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Yu Xianglian 01-0108
- Wang Nanxian 01-0109
- Hu Shen 01-0110
- Wang Xuefeng 01-0111
- Wu Yucheng 03-1251
- Wu Guangrang 03-1252
- Xu Xingguo 03-1253
- Yang Qihe 03-1254
- Nie Xiwei 04-1791
- Shuangyan 05-2622
- Zhu Wenqian 05-2623
- Xu Shuzhang 05-2624
- Wu Weiqing 05-2625
- Wang Dengshu 05-2626
- Hu Xinming 05-2627
- Yang Jianian 05-2628
- Liu Chengyin
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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