Dough Figurines
01 · Historical Records
In the 1920s, the Caozhou dough figurine trade produced the brothers Li Junxing and Li Junfu, who were jointly known as the “Two Lis of Civil and Military Arts”. By the 1930s, Chinese dough modeling had gradually formed artistic schools including the Shandong Li School, the Shanghai Zhao School, and the Beijing Tang School and Lang School. Although each school had its own characteristics, all of them were influenced by Caozhou dough figurines. Caozhou dough figurines derive from life and have a strong rustic flavor. Their forms are generalized, concise, and lively, the images are lifelike and expressive, the proportions are appropriately exaggerated, and they combine freehand and meticulous styles — they can be called a treasure of Chinese folk art. After the 1990s, with economic development and the diversification of social needs, people’s enthusiasm for traditional dough modeling gradually waned, and the transmission and development of Caozhou dough figurines faces a serious crisis and urgently needs protection.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Dough figurines, also called “miansu” (dough modeling) or “jiangmiren” (glutinous rice figures), are a traditional plastic art that uses edible wheat flour and glutinous rice flour as its main materials. Popular throughout China, they are deeply loved by the people. Dough figurines mostly take animals and figures from mythology and legend, historical stories, and local opera as their subjects, and the two basic forms are the “qianjushi” (stick-held) type and the “anzhishi” (table-display) type. The former are mostly edible playthings for entertaining children, with simple but lively forms; the latter are refined display artworks, meticulously made and exquisitely modeled, and additives must be mixed into the raw materials to guard against cracking, insects, and mildew. Dough figurine making generally begins by using pinching, rolling, kneading, and pressing gestures to shape the overall form; a bamboo knife is then used deftly to dot, cut, carve, and score such local details as the hands and feet, the head and face, and the expression. Finally, hair ornaments, garments, and related attachments are added, and the work is complete. Dough figurine art relies mainly on the improvisation of itinerant artists who wander the streets. Having mastered skilled modeling techniques and keeping the process conventions of subject, form, and coloring firmly in mind, they can turn a ball of dough into a vivid, radiant artistic image in a moment. Caozhou dough figurines are a folk dough-modeling art long transmitted in the Caozhou area of Shandong Province, with a history of more than 150 years to date. Beginning with folk artists such as Hao Sheng, Yang Baisi, Wang Qingyuan, and Guo Xiangyun, and through the transmission and development of six generations of dough figurine craftsmen, Caozhou dough figurines gradually shed their function as “huagong” (floral offerings) for worshipping deities in folk religion and became a folk handicraft intended for appreciation. Li Junxing excelled at modeling handsome scholars and beautiful ladies, while Li Junfu excelled at making warriors and knights-errant. With their superb skill, the two brothers became representative figures of Caozhou dough figurine production. Since dough-modeling masters such as Li Junxing and Li Fangqing began going abroad to perform and teach, Caozhou dough figurines have increasingly won the affection of people in Southeast Asia, Europe, America, and other regions, gaining international renown and further establishing their place in the history of dough modeling.
The civil and martial Lis
In the 1920s the brothers Li Junxing and Li Junfu, known as the civil and martial Lis, became the representative figures of Caozhou dough figures.
Six generations and the end of flower offerings
From Hao Sheng and others through six generations, Caozhou dough figures grew from temple offerings into an ornamental folk craft famed abroad.
Combining craft and painterly rendering
Caozhou figures are distilled, vivid and mildly exaggerated, and the later Li, Zhao, Tang and Lang schools were all influenced by them.
Li Jincheng and Chen Sujing
Li Jincheng (1932-2013) and Chen Sujing are the nationally recognised inheritors of Caozhou dough figures.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
Caozhou dough figurines center on the Mudan District area of Heze, Shandong. The brothers Li Junxing and Li Junfu were jointly called the “Two Lis of Civil and Military Arts”, excelling respectively at scholars and beauties and at warriors and knights-errant. After their technique spread outward, it gave rise to branches such as the Shandong Li School, the Shanghai Zhao School, and the Beijing Tang School and Lang School.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Dough Figurines · Dough Figurines · Dough Figurines · Dough Figurines · Dough Figurines.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Dough figurine art, inherited and developed among the people, embodies the aesthetic sentiments and life ideals of the general public, and provides important material evidence for research on Chinese folk history, customs, and art. Li Jincheng (recorded in the official files of the associated inheritor): His dough modeling works mostly draw on traditional folk stories and historical allusions; his modeling technique is skillful, his workmanship fine, and his colors brilliant yet not vulgar. Male, of Han ethnicity, born in December 1932, died in July 2013, from Heze City, Shandong Province. Representative inheritor of Mianren (Caozhou Mianren), a third-batch national-level intangible cultural heritage project. His works won gold awards at national and provincial or municipal folk art exhibitions many times. He devoted himself to the transmission of Caozhou dough figurines, encouraging his descendants to pursue dough-modeling art, imparting the artistic essence to his children, and training numerous disciples. Chen Sujing (recorded in the official files of the associated inheritor): Female, of Han ethnicity, born in August 1964, from Heze City, Shandong Province. Her technique is exquisite and her artistic virtue is noble. The dough figurines she models are vivid in form, with local artistic characteristics and considerable influence. Her works have participated in national and provincial intangible cultural heritage performances and exhibitions many times and have won awards; her representative works include Journey to the West. For many years she has actively taught the techniques of Caozhou dough figurine production; her disciples include Li Bin, Wang Wei, and many others, and she has also taught the technique to various students who love dough modeling and to enthusiasts in many places. Representative inheritor of Mianren (Caozhou Mianren), a fifth-batch national-level intangible cultural heritage project.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Lang Zhili 03-1268
- Zhao Yanlin 03-1269
- Li Jincheng 03-1270
- Tang Suguo 04-1795
- Chen Sujing 05-2647
- Wang Xijin 05-2648
- Wang Di
- Chen Yu
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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