Traditional Chinese clay figurine

Author: Pan Jialai
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-06-01
Features: Traditional handicrafts are an important part of China's excellent cultural heritage. Chinese jade, silk, lacquerware, porcelain, and Ming and Qing furniture are among the finest handcrafted products in the world, achieving remarkable accomplishments in both craftsmanship and artistry. However, in the long-term Confucian culture that emphasized principles over material objects, the making of utensils was always regarded as a mere petty skill, not worthy of the grand stage. In the official historical records of dynasties, the achievements and contributions of artisans are rarely recorded, and when they are, it is only in a few words or not mentioned at all. From the perspective of art history, clay sculpture and pottery are among the earliest forms of shaping, with clay sculpture occurring even earlier than pottery. The materials and shaping methods of clay sculpture and pottery are basically the same, the main difference being that the former is naturally air-dried, while the latter requires firing in a kiln to vitrify. The Confucian concept of life and death is "seeing death as life," so when burying the deceased, it was common to prepare some daily utensils. Emperors and wealthy families could bury a large number of real objects used or cherished by the deceased, while commoners could only use clay to make models as substitutes. Therefore, many unearthed clay sculptures and pottery pieces feature shapes such as houses, kitchen utensils, animal enclosures, and entertainers, which are known as tomb artifacts.