The production process of clay toys

Basic materials - clay needs to be carefully prepared, usually with some viscous and delicate soil, after pounding, wrestling, kneading, and sometimes in the clay with some cotton wool, paper or honey. The molding of clay sculpture is generally divided into four steps: making a child, turning the mold, stripping, coloring. To make a child is to make a prototype, find a piece of clay and good, using carving, shaping, kneading and other techniques, shaping a good image, after modification, polishing, drying can be, and in some places also burned with fire to enhance the strength. Turning the mold is to press the clay in the original shape printed into a mold, common single-piece mold and double-piece mold, there are also many pieces of mold. Tire is to use the mold printing and pressing the mud person blank tire, usually the first and good mud rolled into a sheet, and then pressed into the mold, and then the two pieces of pressed mud mold together and pressed, and then a "bottom", that is, in the lower part of the mud person stuck on a piece of mud, so that the mud person hollow outside the strict, leave a hole in the body, so that the tire inside and outside of the air circulation, so as to avoid the tire inside the air pressure The last process is coloring. The last process is coloring, known as "three parts plastic, seven parts color" said. General coloring before the first layer of primer to keep the surface clean, easy to absorb the color of color, color pigments more supplies of color, adjusted to the water glue to strengthen the color adhesion. 1.Project Introduction

Yutian County, Hebei Province, is located in the eastern plains of Hebei Province, the southern foot of the Yanshan Mountains, is located in the center of Beijing, Tianjin, Tang, to the "ancients planted jade" legend and named.

As early as in the late Neolithic period, the ancestors here on this piece of land, hard work, prosperity, creating a number of brilliant culture, Yutian clay toys is the vernacular art garden in a strange flower.

Yutian clay toys, in the eastern part of Beijing occupies an important position, doubly appreciated by Mr. Zhang Ding. Its rich content and basic features and its inheritance history, unique, has a high academic value. In addition, it has certain practical value. Excavation, collation, protection, research, development of Yutian clay sculpture, Yutian economic development, enrich the people's cultural life, build a harmonious society, will have a certain role in promoting.

In the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, Yutian clay toy artists represented by Liu Kai (1870-1961) had long been famous around the eastern part of Beijing. Since the 1930s, clay toys have been traded in the market of the town of Cuhongqiao. At that time, the clay toy production in Daijiatun, Xigaoqiu and other villages had already formed a certain scale. As of the 1950s, Yutian clay toys developed to its heyday, emerging Liu Guangtian, Wu Yucheng and other masters of clay sculpture. In February 1987, they went to Hebei TV station for a live performance and were amazed by their superb skills. Its works are well known in the provincial capital, Kyoto, as a cultural exchange messenger to France, Japan and other countries. Although the clay figure is small, the love connects the five continents.

During the 11th Asian Games in Beijing, Yutian clay toys were exhibited in the China Arts and Crafts Museum, and were once again favored by friends at home and abroad.

In December 1993, the Ministry of Culture of China named Yutian County as the "Hometown of Chinese Folk Art (Folk Clay Sculpture)", which greatly encouraged and promoted the development of Yutian clay toys. Yutian clay toys in the "excavation - finishing - protection - research - development" this road wider and wider, prompting the flower of this ancient art to shine again.

Tangshan Yutian County, West Gaoqiao, Daijiatun area, is known far and near the hometown of mud people. The men and women here are simple, hardworking, mostly intelligent Han folk clay sculptors. A pile of ordinary clay, once in their hands will become a vivid shape, realistic image, colorful, lifelike people, birds, insects, animals. Yutian clay sculpture to clay toys, mainly to reed whistle for ringing, to leather straps to make animals can run and jump, to rabbit skin for drums, shaking up the sound, fun. Its traditional varieties are "Monkey King", "Flower Tiger", "Qin Qiong", "Kirin sends his son" and so on, the shape is simple and wonderful, childish and interesting, bright and eye-catching colors, strong contrast and coordination. In addition, another type of Yutian clay sculpture is table furnishings, mostly mythological stories, historical dramas, opera stories in the character modeling, such as "Ma Gu Xianshou", "Eight Immortals", "Drunkenness of the Concubine" and so on. There is also a class is not down, commonly known as "move not down", under the semi-circular clay ball, on the pulp plaster tire modeling, light on the bottom, shaking but not down, naive bow, people love.

Mud sculpture can not be durable, has not been found a long time ago unearthed mud sculpture, but its history is quite long. After the founding of the People's Republic of China, Yutian clay figures ushered in the most prosperous period, with a complete range of clay products, a wide variety of patterns, and a wide range of colors. in December 1993, the Ministry of Culture named Yutian as the "Hometown of Chinese Folk Art - Hometown of Folk Clay Sculpture".

2. Basic Information

Yutian County is located in the eastern part of Hebei Province, at the southern foot of the Yanshan Mountains, surrounded by the center of Beijing, Tianjin, and Tangshan, and named after the legend of "ancient people planting jade". The county is 48 kilometers southeast of Tangshan City, east of Fengrun District, west and north of Jixian adjacent to the south and southeast, southwest and Ninghe County, Baodi County, northeast of Zunhua City border. The area spans 39°31′-39°59′ north latitude and 117°30′-117°56′ east longitude. The county has 14 towns, 6 townships and 750 villagers' committees, covering an area of 1,169.27 square kilometers and a population of 660,000 people.

The terrain of the territory is a plain in front of the mountains, high in the north and low in the south, and the northern county boundary is located in the remnants of the Yanshan Mountains, with an average elevation of 300 meters above sea level, and the highest peak of Shiku Mountain, which is 408.6 meters above sea level. From the mountain slopes to the south extends into plains and depressions. The average annual temperature is 11.2°C, the average annual precipitation is 682.3 mm, and the frost-free period is 193 days. The hills and foothill plains with an elevation of 15 meters above sea level cover an area of 32,610 hectares. It accounts for 27.62% of the county's plains. The county's total arable land area of 72,688 hectares, is mainly planting agricultural county. The inland rivers of Jiyun, Raixiang, Ronghui, Shuangcheng, Lanquan and Jingshui are all flowing southward from the north, and enter the sea through the Jiyun Canal. The existing Beijing-Shenyang Expressway runs through the middle of Yutian County, and National Highway 102, which was built in 1973, runs 36 kilometers through the county, providing direct access to Beijing, Shenyang and Harbin. In addition, the Beijing-Qin Railway runs across the county, and the Daqin Railway passes through the northwest of the county, making the transportation convenient. The First Temple of Beijing East, which is famous for its green stone relief carvings, is located in the eastern part of Yutian County, and boasts the Jin Dynasty architecture of Caiting Bridge and Neolithic ruins, among others. Yutian clay toys have formed a unique soil of Han folklore and folk culture through generations of Han ancestors' reproduction, habitat and labor.

3. Project Description

From the ancient humans in the hunting practice of "burnt earth for ocarina" to Yutian unearthed ceramic dogs, ceramic pigs, ceramic horses and other Han tomb Ming ware, up to the Qing Dynasty artists using the evolution of burnt ceramic molds pinch clay sculpture, you can see the occurrence of its clay sculpture, the history of development.

Yutian clay toys in the long river of history has experienced the conception, formation, prosperity, silence, rescue, recovery, and "people's protection project" to promote, development period. Since the Qing Guangxu to the early 1960s, Yutian clay toys are in the reproduction and circulation of the mature, prosperous period, the bazaar mud sculpture stalls up to 0.5 kilometers, the formation of a street of mud people to and from Beijing, Tianjin, the northeast of the vendors competing to buy.

Yutian clay toys in 1986 into the rescue, since the recovery, and there has been a new upsurge and development. December 1993 by the Ministry of Culture was officially named "China's folk art township (folk clay sculpture)".

Yutian clay toys are varied and rich in content. From the acoustic points: there are mouth-blowing class; from the rhyme points: there are manual class; from the varieties of points: there are mythological stories, birds and animals, costume drama, real life and other four varieties. In the four varieties, its mythological stories, costume drama characters from Tianjin Yang Liuqing New Year's Paintings, such as white powder on the background, applying red, yellow, green, black, orchid colors, obviously borrowed the characteristics of the painting style. In addition, in the above varieties, mouth-blowing category accounted for more than 350 kinds, manual category accounted for more than 80 kinds.

Yutian clay toys, in the long-term circulation, the formation of Yutian County southeast of Daijiatun Liu Kai (1870-1961) as the source, that is, and inherited to his son Liu Junxiang (1909-1973) his grandson Liu Guangtian (1947-) and other genealogical lineage.

4. Related products and their works

1, mouth-blowing type. There are mainly half-colored plastic and full-colored plastic (with reed flute inside) as well as clay whistles and other articulated products.

2, manual type. There are banglang drum (external beating stick, rabbit skin), move not down (clay ball on the set of paper tube), small running mouse (built-in leather band), small flower turtle (external wire reed), flower tiger (waist with kraft paper connected to an accordion, push and pull the sound can be made) and so on.

Yutian clay specifications, the smallest such as a thumb, generally as large as the palm of the hand or so, the largest can be customized, the clay toys are the most important half-colored plastic and full-colored plastic (filled with clay mold kneading, general body thickness of 3-6 cm, shell thickness of 1-2 cm) of the shell plastic products. Such as Ah Fu, small phoenix and other clay works.

5. Inheritance genealogy

Liu Guangtian Yutian clay toys genealogy

(1) Yutian clay toys artist Liu Guangtian

Liu Guangtian, male, born in May 1947, Yutian County, Hebei Province, people in Daijiatun Village, the third generation of the Liu family of clay sculpture heir apparent.

Liu Guangtian learned the art of clay sculpture from his grandfather, Liu Kai, and his father, Liu Junxiang, when he was eight years old, he was able to sculpt many works, such as flying birds and animals, and characters in ancient costume dramas, etc. At the end of the 1950s and the beginning of the 1960s, the family's source of livelihood mainly depended on the sale of clay sculpture works, and at the time, his works were sold very quickly in the Crowhongqiao bazaar, and a lot of hawkers competed with each other in order to order the works from him.

Liu Guangtian is very diligent and studious, and is good at making up for his shortcomings and constantly innovating in clay sculpture processing, and his clay toys have the characteristics of seeing the strange in the stable, seeking the round in the square, and the coloring is bright and refined. His clay works have been collected abroad. Liu Guangtian and Wu Yucheng in February 1987 to the Hebei Provincial Television Station live performance, his skills shocked the four seats, reputation of the provincial capital, in 1990 his works in the Chinese Arts and Crafts Museum exhibition, received the appreciation of experts. 1994 October, his masterpiece "small lion play embroidered ball" was selected by the Ministry of Culture of the State held the "China Folk Art Exhibition".

Liu's masterpiece "Little Lion Playing Embroidery Ball" was selected by the Ministry of Culture as one of the "Great Exhibition of Chinese Folk Art".

Liu Guangtian's works have participated in many clay sculpture skills performance, many clay sculpture enthusiasts have gone to observe and learn, and photographed for research. In the twentieth century reform and opening up of the 90's, abandoned the art from the business, in the Crowe Hongqiao wholesale market to sell children's clothing. June 28, 2002 in Yutian County Daijiatun second paper mills into the shares, responsible for the acquisition of waste paper work. 2013 January, to return to Yutian clay toys the old business so far.

Liu Kai, male, born in 1870, private school culture, family inheritance, the Qing dynasty Guangxu years, scattered water head town Daijiatun village. First Generation

Second Generation

Liu Junxiang, male, born in 1909, private school culture, family inheritance, 1920s, Daijiatun Village, Danshuitou Town.

Liu Junying, female, born in 1922, uneducated, family heritage, 1930s, Xigaoqiu village, Yangjiaotou township.

Liu Junting, male, born in 1930, private school culture, family inheritance, 1940s, Daijiatun Village, Sanshuitou Township.

Third Generation

Liu Guangtian, male, born in 1947, middle school education, family inheritance, 1950s, Daijiatun Village, Danshuitou Town.

Yu Fengzhen, female, born in 1947, junior high school education, husband and wife inheritance, 1950s, Daijiatun Village, Danshuiotou Town.

Wang Haiyan, female, born in 1962, high school education, husband and wife inheritance, 2012-, Daijiatun Village, Danshui Tou Town.

Fourth generation

Liu Yuxin, female, born in 1978, high school education, father and daughter inheritance, 1980s, Daijiatun Village, Danshuiotou Town.

6. Project justification

Yutian clay toys, counting from the formation of the Qing Guangxu period, has a history of more than 100 years. It can be said that it is a kind of clay ocarina with clay as the object of kneading, after colorful painting for the children to play as a musical instrument. It can be called a small colorful sculpture, which is generally called mud man, mud flute or mud toy. Its basic features are as follows: (1) With the improvement of the working people's ability to discover, create, apply and appreciate the beauty and their yearning for the future, it generates the demand for spiritual civilization and has the characteristics of ancient and simple beauty. (2) There are both instinctive inheritance from primitive clay sculptures and extensive absorption of colors from New Year's paintings, carved shadows, paper cuttings, kites, etc. as well as the use of ink and water. Thus, it is characterized by multiple origins. (3) Not only are there many categories and varieties, but there are also a wide range of life subjects and traditional story subjects, which inherently characterize the richness of content. (4) The music and colors are very good, and the sound and feelings are very beautiful, which is unique in the eastern part of the capital. Therefore, it is characterized by uniqueness. (5) The sound and rhyme adopt the techniques of mimicking sound, imitating shape, expressing meaning, conveying feelings, and describing things to objective things, and constitute a corresponding variety of varieties. Therefore, it is also characterized by mimicry.

7. Important value

Yutian clay toys, in the eastern part of Beijing occupies an important position, is recognized by experts and scholars. Chinese folk crafts master Mr. Zhang Ding many times in the national folk art conference put forward "excavation, collation, protection, research, development" strategic thinking. Its Yutian clay toys also doubly appreciated by Mr. Zhang Ding, and affirmed the value of two points:

One, academic value. In the history of Chinese folk mud sculpture, the main mud sculpture origin: Beijing, tianjin, shaanxi, wuxi, henan, shandong, hebei and so on. And Yutian clay toys are second to none in Hebei clay sculpture. Its rich content and basic features and its inheritance history are unique. Excavation rescue and protection of Yutian clay toys will not only enrich and perfect the history of Chinese folk clay sculpture, but also to improve the local popularity, will play a very good role.

Two, practical value. "Excavation, collation, protection, research and development" of Yutian clay toys, Yutian economic prosperity, enrich the cultural life of the people, improve the taste of art appreciation, and build a harmonious society, will have a certain role in promoting.

7. Critical situation

Yutian mud toys, although the county government and the relevant leaders of the strong support, made a lot of excavation, rescue, inheritance, carry forward the work, but there are still difficult to solve the problem:

(a) the year of the survival, development of the social basis has been changed. In the past, several villages are doing clay toys of the atmosphere no longer appear. As a result, the display platform in the bazaar has been replaced by nascent commodities.

(2) Some accomplished clay artists have passed away one after another, and some of them have changed their profession to business.

(3) with the progress of science and technology and the development of the market economy, people's spiritual civilization and cultural living standards are increasing, so that the cultural expression is constantly updated and perfect, such as handmade toys and ornaments of the new generation, the production of trade and consumption customs, life rituals and customs and the cultural space of the change and so on. Thus, the clay toys of the past have been diluted. The scene of children playing clay flute is no longer seen.

8. Protection measures

The Yutian county government attaches great importance to the protection and development of Yutian clay toys. Since 1993, when Yutian County was named the "Hometown of Chinese Folk Art (Folk Clay Sculpture)", it has held many cultural meetings to study the protection and development of Yutian clay toys. Especially since 2000, the protection and development of Yutian clay toys has been the focus of cultural work every year, and a leading group for the protection and development of Yutian clay toys has been set up with the county governor in charge as the leader, the director of the Bureau of Culture, Radio and Television as the deputy leader, and the directors of the Cultural Affairs Bureau and the Cultural Center as members. Build Yutian's characteristic cultural brand". In October 2005, Yutian clay toys were included as an important part of the development of cultural undertakings in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan for the Economic and Social Development of Yutian County. The Yutian County Bureau of Culture, Radio and Television and the Yutian County Cultural Center respectively formulated an implementation plan and implementation rules on the protection and development of Yutian clay toys. In the same year, the Tangshan Museum of Folklore edited and published a colorful album of Tangshan Yutian Clay Toys, and in June 2006, Yutian clay toys were included in the First Intangible Cultural Heritage List of Hebei Province. It injected new vitality into the protection and development of Yutian clay toys. The Yutian county government took this as an opportunity to put forward clearer requirements for the conservation and development of Yutian clay toys. Tianjin clay figure Zhang colorful sculpture is a kind of Han folk art y loved by the people, which was founded in the Daoguang period of the Qing Dynasty, and has a history of 180 years since its circulation and development. During the period, after the founding, and even the world recognized. It is a million favorite.

"Mudman Zhang" of colorful sculpture, the traditional pinch of mud people to the level of round plastic art, and decorated with colors, props, the formation of a unique style. It is after the Yuan Dynasty Liu Yuan, another peak of China's clay art, its works of art is exquisite, the influence far around the world, in the history of Chinese Han folk art occupies an important position! Huaiyang County is located in the south of Henan Province, which was called "Chenzhou" in ancient times. Distributed in the county are Taihao Fuxi Mausoleum, Fuxi Gua Platform, Fuxi White Turtle Pond, Shennong Wugu Terrace, Wanqiu City Ruins and many other monuments, has always been considered to be an ancient legend of Fuxi's and Shennong's two emperors of the hometown. Local people have been rumored for generations that "Fuxi human ancestor" is buried in the "Taihao Mausoleum". Tai Hao Mausoleum is located in the county three miles north of the existing mausoleum area buildings are relics of the Ming Dynasty, has been set up as a park, commonly known as the "Great Ancestral Temple". Every year, from the second day of February to the third day of March in the lunar calendar, the local people will hold a grand "Tai Hao Mausoleum Temple Fair" in the mausoleum area. Farmers in a radius of more than 100 miles have come to catch the fair. Quasi-Yang folk clay toys commonly known as "mud mud dog", produced in the mausoleum area and sold in front of the mausoleum temple fair, it is also known as "mausoleum dog".