Rice Sculpture

Rice Sculpture

　　　　Product Name: Rice Sculpture

　　Alias: “Powder Sculpture”

　　Place of Origin: Wenzhou, Zhejiang

　　Features: Lifelike, vivid in appearance, rich in color.

　　Introduction: Also called “Powder Sculpture,” rice sculpture is a folk art form that uses cooked glutinous rice dough as its base material. Through techniques such as kneading, pinching, molding, and carving, it is shaped into various figures including human characters, animals, flowers, and birds. The pieces vary in size, with some reaching several meters in height while others are only two or three centimeters. They are commonly used during festive occasions and birthday celebrations. In the past, during the annual Lanjie Fu festival held on the 15th day of the second lunar month, large rice-made birthday peaches were crafted. These peaches were decorated not only with images of flowers, birds, insects, and fish, but also featured intricately sculpted characters from classic operas such as Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Investiture of the Gods, Journey to the West, and Water Margin, all rendered in striking detail and vibrant colors.

　　History: Wenzhou’s rice sculpture boasts a long and storied history and is considered a vibrant gem within Wenzhou’s renowned “hometown of crafts”—its vibrant folk art scene. It is a local custom in Wenzhou to create rice sculptures during festive occasions, weddings, funerals, or birthday celebrations. Legend has it that this tradition dates back as early as the Song Dynasty. After more than a thousand years of inheritance, the craftsmanship of rice sculpture has been refined to near perfection, and it is often hailed alongside the northern “dough sculpture” as one of the two great masterpieces of edible sculpting art in China.