Dayu Clay Sculpture

Dayu Clay Sculpture

Dayu clay sculpture is a national intangible cultural heritage.

　　The Dayu clay sculpture of Fuyang is as renowned as the "Clay Figurine Zhang" of Tianjin and the Huishan clay figurines of Wuxi, boasting a long history. It is mainly produced in the Dayu Administrative Zone of Fuyang Town, Chao'an County. Nearly every household in the village crafts clay toys, with main products including Xitong (joyful children), Wushen (martial figures), Chenjing (official scenes), and Wen寸 (scholar figurines). Famous artisans throughout history include Wu Jingshan from the late Southern Song Dynasty and Wu Panqiang from the late Qing Dynasty.

　　The widely acclaimed clay sculpture master Wu Panqiang was said to be able to shape a lump of clay into a vivid figure in the blink of an eye, with striking lifelike detail. His creations were so realistic that they left people in awe. Even today, folk collections still preserve his works, such as a screen panel titled "Juqi," which depicts two wrestlers squatting in horse stances, chests thrust out, with a bamboo club pressed against each one’s navel as they push against each other. The varied postures and energies are incredibly amusing.

　　Dayu clay sculpture is not only well known in Guangdong and Fujian, but also among overseas Chinese in various Southeast Asian countries. The most distinctive feature of Dayu clay sculpture is its use of the appliqué modeling technique, where artisans shape a figure by sequentially molding different parts of the body.

　　The history of Chaozhou’s Dayu clay sculpture can be traced back to the first year of Jiari during the reign of Emperor Lizong of the Southern Song Dynasty (1237 AD). The mid-Qing Dynasty to the early Republican period marked the heyday of Dayu clay sculpture. Clay workshops spread throughout the village, and there emerged over 100 clay sculptors, represented by Wu Panqiang. The artistic techniques of carving, modeling, kneading, appliqué, engraving, stamping, and coloring had become quite sophisticated. Particularly, the organic combination of appliqué, stamping, and coloring formed the unique style of Dayu clay sculpture. Most Dayu clay sculptures draw inspiration from key plots in Chaozhou opera, as well as from daily life. They are mainly divided into five categories: First, opera story characters, further divided into Wenshen (civilian figures), Wujing (martial scenes), Chenjing (official scenes), Dafupi (characters wielding large axes), and Wen寸 (scholar figurines), although Dafupi and Wen寸 have been lost for decades. Second, face masks, children’s headpieces, puppet heads, and lantern heads. Third, portraits, often sculpted based on real people, a skill only mastered by top artisans. Fourth, deities and Buddha statues, used for worship or veneration. Fifth, children's toys, such as animals, chubby dolls, and carp children, also known as "assorted toys." Dayu clay sculpture holds significant historical, cultural, and artistic value, and was included in the second batch of the National Intangible Cultural Heritage List in 2008.