Is clay sculpture a decorative way of ancient buildings in China?

Clay sculpture is a decorative technique of ancient architecture in China.

China ancient architecture pays great attention to decoration. The so-called "carved beams and painted buildings" and "resplendent" are all used to describe the artistic decoration of China architecture. The decorative techniques of ancient buildings in China are varied, such as wood carving, brick carving, stone carving, glass, clay sculpture, color painting and mural painting. For example, the main facades of Chongqing Catholic Church and Mouli Catholic Church are in the form of local clay sculptures and decorated with bas-relief plants.

Clay sculpture maintenance

There are many reasons for the damage of ancient clay sculptures, including human factors and natural factors.

1, natural factors include the influence of humidity, the change of internal structure of water-soluble salts and supports, the growth of microorganisms, the change of physical climate (usually referring to temperature and humidity), the invasion of sunlight, rain and sandstorms, and the role of atmospheric pollutants. In addition, incorrect repair methods and the use of some inappropriate repair materials often accelerate the deterioration of clay sculptures.

2. The common pathological phenomena of clay sculpture mainly include hollowing, peeling, crisp powder, cracking and peeling, foaming, degumming and peeling, picture fading, discoloration, pollution (mildew spots, insect dung spots, smoking, etc. It is very important to create a good protective environment for long-term preservation of clay sculptures. Preventing the occurrence of pathological changes is more important than treating them. Only by thoroughly eliminating the root causes of pathological changes can clay sculptures be fundamentally protected.

3, the protection of clay sculpture is important to control humidity. Because humidity is the most dangerous factor causing wall diseases. Buildings should maintain good ventilation conditions, which is of great significance to preserve the integrity of clay sculptures.

The walls should be kept naturally ventilated, the air in the building should be kept clean and dry, and there should be no weeds near the building. The environment in which murals are preserved should be suitable and relatively stable in temperature and humidity, and the fluctuation should not be too great. As long as this can be done, it is difficult for microorganisms such as mold to grow and develop.

4, avoid the influence of light, never direct sunlight on the clay sculpture. If excessive moisture has been eliminated, it is generally beneficial to put it in the dark. It is best to use artificial light source for lighting, which is convenient to control lighting and can effectively eliminate the damage of light to clay sculpture. It is necessary to prevent dust, soot and various harmful gases from harming clay sculptures. Small and medium-sized clay sculptures, as personal collections, should also abide by the above storage matters.