Huqiu Clay Figurines

Huqiu Clay Figurines

　　In Chapter 67 of *Dream of the Red Chamber*, there is a vivid description of Suzhou clay figurines. Xue Pan returned from Suzhou and brought two large boxes of clothes to give to his female relatives, which included “a series of clay figurine plays housed in boxes covered with blue gauze; there was also a tiny clay figurine of Xue Pan himself, molded on Huqiu Mountain, which looked exactly like him. Baochai didn’t pay much attention to the other items, but she picked up the little figure of Xue Pan, studied it closely, then looked at her brother, and couldn’t help laughing.” The *Suzhou Prefecture Records* also mention that “the people of Huqiu could mold clay into strikingly lifelike human likenesses.” This shows the artistic level of Huqiu clay figurines at the time.

　　According to the Qing Dynasty text *Tongqiao Yizhu Lu*, the origin of Suzhou clay portraiture is described as follows: “Clay portraiture, commonly called ‘clay modeling,’ was first created during the Tang Dynasty by Yang Huizhi.” Yang Huizhi was a nationally renowned “Sculpture Saint,” originally from Zhanggu Village, Wushan, Suzhou, in the Tang Dynasty. He studied painting under the same master as the famous Tang Dynasty painter Wu Daozi before switching to sculpture. With a solid foundation in painting, the figures he sculpted were incredibly lifelike, reaching an exceptional level of artistry in clay modeling. By the Song Dynasty, Yuan Yuchang from Mudu, Wuxian County, applied the art of sculpting deities and Buddha statues to creating “clay dolls.” The clay children he made had slightly open mouths as if babbling, and even their unclosed fontanelles were sculpted, making them very lively. As a result, they were praised as “the best under heaven.” Later, because Huqiu produced a type of “rich clay” suitable for modeling, the center of clay modeling shifted to Huqiu. The famous Qing Dynasty poet Wang Shihuang once compared the Suzhou clay portrait artist Xiang Tiancheng (from the Daoguang era of the Qing Dynasty) to renowned painters like Gu Kaizhi and Wu Daozi, and praised Xiang’s remarkable skill in the following poetic lines: “Xiang, a refined and elegant man, unmatched in craftsmanship east of the river. His brushstrokes gleam like lightning, reviving the style of Wu Daozi. With colored clay, he rivals the work of painters, capturing portraits without needing fine silk. His skill is divine.” From extant works listed as national cultural heritage sites—such as the clay arhat sculptures at Baosheng Temple in Luzhi Town, Wuxian County, and those at Zijin Nunnery on Dongshan—we can see their traditional connection to Suzhou clay portraiture.

When creating clay portraits, Suzhou artisans are said to first observe the subject’s features, reflect quietly, then place a small lump of clay in their hand, concealing it in their sleeve. While chatting and laughing with the person, they mold the figure in just a few minutes. As recorded in *Lanfang Notes*: “If you don’t mind, in a short while, the portrait is done.” This can truly be considered an extraordinary skill. There are two types of clay portraits: one is painted with powder and color, complete with facial hair, clothing, and movable limbs carved from hardwood and attached; the other is simply a head portrait, left uncolored and without clothing, making it easy to carry. The small portrait of Xue Pan described in *Dream of the Red Chamber* was likely the latter. Similar to clay portraits is another form of clay modeling known as “clay opera figurines,” which were also famous during the Qing Dynasty. These were usually realistic, emphasizing facial expressions and expressions, with somewhat exaggerated character designs. There were also silk-clay figurines, with heads and limbs made of clay, and clothing made from silk or paper. Armor was sometimes woven from thread to resemble fish scales, and patterns on garments were either painted with colored brushes or embroidered, resulting in exquisitely crafted figures with plump, lively cheeks and vibrant expressions. Despite minimal detailing, the facial features conveyed emotion and spirit. By the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty, smaller clay portraits were considered more valuable, with the tiniest being no larger than a melon seed. To maintain the same liveliness and realism in these miniatures as in larger ones, artisans developed a molding and scaling-down technique, ensuring the likeness remained completely accurate.

In May 1956, Zhou Fuyuan, a Young Pioneer from Suzhou, donated 436 sets of ancestral clay modeling molds and a complete set of modeling tools to the state. Based on these molds, a full range of portraits could be produced, including human likenesses, deity figures, opera masks, toys, and small ornaments. Among the human likenesses were figures from ancient and modern times—elders, children, women, and more. Each portrait had a unique expression, and when colorful details were added, they became even more vivid. These tiny portraits, as small as melon seeds, still featured well-defined facial features and clear hairlines, remarkably lifelike. Unfortunately, this exquisite craft, passed down for hundreds of years, gradually declined and was nearly lost by the Guangxu period of the Qing Dynasty. The discovery of this set of molds today holds great value for the study of clay modeling art. The above introduction to several renowned crafts offers just a glimpse of the extraordinary artistry of Suzhou’s ancient techniques. Additionally noteworthy are the ancient and beautiful architectural paintings, exquisite carvings and reliefs, wind-up mechanical toys, charming pith flower arrangements, girls’ bead ornaments, exquisitely crafted rosewood trinkets, delicate small ornaments, affordable and high-quality Jiading straw weaving, intricately designed curtain-lifting clocks and water-driven clocks, highly realistic imitation ancient bronzes, various theatrical costumes and props, and the mellow tones of traditional ethnic musical instruments... All of these are part of Suzhou’s traditional arts and crafts, which flourished during the Ming and Qing dynasties.