Folk Clay Figurines

Folk Clay Figurines

　　Huaiyang, anciently known as Chenzhou, is the site where Fuxi, the first of the legendary "Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors" in Chinese history, established his capital. To the north of Huaiyang lies the "Taihao Mausoleum," commonly called the "Temple of the Human Ancestors." "Taihao" describes Fuxi as radiant as the sun and moon, praising his saintly virtue at the dawn of human existence—when people still ate raw meat and drank blood—by teaching them to "make nets for hunting and fishing to sustain the people; raise six kinds of livestock to supply the kitchen" (from *Essentials of Historical Outline: The Chapter on Taihao Fuxi*).

　　 The "Taihao Mausoleum" hosts the "Temple of the Human Ancestors Fair" annually from the second day of the second lunar month to the third day of the third lunar month, also locally referred to as the "February Fair." During the February Fair, up to 100,000 descendants of the Yan and Huang Emperors gather in Huaiyang daily to worship at the Fuxi Mausoleum and Nuwa Temple, praying for national prosperity and the people's wealth and strength.

　　 The original theme of the Taihao Mausoleum’s "Temple of the Human Ancestors Fair" is to worship the human ancestors Fuxi and Nuwa for the prosperity of their descendants. As such, ancient customs of "fertility worship" among early humans are still preserved, such as the "Footprint Dance" that praises Fuxi and Nuwa, the "Child-Touching Cave," "Flagpole Offering," "Baby-Tying," and various female genital symbols on animal figurines—displaying humanity’s eternal themes of life consciousness and racial continuity.

　　 Huaiyang’s "Clay Mud Dogs" were born alongside religious worship and ancient folk traditions, and have been passed down to this day. "Clay Mud Dogs" is the general term for Huaiyang’s clay toys. Also called "Mausoleum Dogs," locals say they are "divine dogs" that guard the mausoleum and temple of Fuxi and Nuwa. Purchasing a "Clay Mud Dog" as a gift for relatives and friends is believed to ward off disasters and cure illnesses, giving it a rather sacred significance.

　　 Huaiyang’s "Clay Mud Dogs" feature quaint, grotesque shapes and bright colors, with black as the base and vibrant patterns all over. There are hundreds of varieties, mostly depicting strange birds and beasts or human-beast hybrids, such as "Human-Faced Monkeys," "Human-Faced Beasts," "Monkey Heads," "Nine-Headed Birds," "Human-Headed Dogs," "Double-Headed Dogs," and "Multi-Headed Monsters." Among them, the "Human-Faced Monkey" is regarded as the "Ancestor Monkey," with a solemn and sacred design that completely lacks the playful expression typical of ordinary monkey toys.

　　 The shapes of the strange birds and beasts in the "Clay Mud Dogs" transcend realistic forms found in nature, created by artisans based on intuitive perception. Those decorative symbols representing "female fertility worship" are applied by the artisans’ instinctive intuition onto the fantastical and mysterious grotesque forms, releasing the charm of primitive totem art and giving the ancient clay sculpture art a strong visual impact and modern feel.

　　 Looking at Huaiyang’s "Clay Mud Dogs," one feels as if transported back to that primordial, chaotic ancient era—where wild beasts roamed and thunder and lightning raged. The vulnerability of humans made them place their hopes for protection on powerful animals, and view all things as vessels of the soul, thus giving rise to "totem" worship of animal spirits. The existence of Huaiyang’s "Clay Mud Dogs" art is essentially a continuation and expansion of primitive art. As an extremely typical and rare form of folk art within Chinese ethnic cultural heritage, it authentically records the trajectory of human cultural development and reflects the bloodline relationship of structural interpenetration between folk art and primitive art. Huaiyang’s "Clay Mud Dogs" are not only living historical materials for studying "anthropology" and "folklore," but their uniquely human essence, vibrant intuitive creativity, and lively modern sensibility also provide valuable nourishment for the development of modern Chinese art.