Tianjin clay Zhang Caisu is a very common people like Chinese folk handicraft art, it makes the painted clay figurine shine, a flower of Chinese folk handicraft. “Clay figurine Zhang”, is given to Zhang generations of painted sculpture masters title of honor.
“Pioneer of clay figurine Zhang”, to Zhang Mingshan, he followed his father Zhang Wanquan fired ceramics, do some small animal. Later, he was not burned clay animal test on the application of color, because the effect is good, began the practice of painted sculpture. At the age of 18, he holds the family and bold innovation, to knead lifelike portrait and create a great sensation. He has been in the family runs a clay sculpture workshop plastic Gu zhai. He is highly skilled, simply and people sitting opposite, stroke soil in hand, quietly, instant and. Face diameter inch, not only vivid and true to life likeness, bishop, a popular dynamic. Legend, Zhang Mingshan often up your sleeve with mud to the theatre, while watching the side in a roomy sleeves knead head, a did not end, will make each role, vivid, distinctive. He was good at plastic portrait, gave many celebrities like plastic. Now the Museum of art on display inside the Mei Lanfang like Mr. Mei performance reproduction Daiyu art, see this piece of art, would like to see Mr. Mei dancing dancing. Foreigners “in Tianjin to weight value to buy, the museum, for people to watch. ”
After Zhang Mingshan, Tianjin clay Zhang Caisu art through his son Zhang Yuting (1863 ~ 1954), his grandson Zhang Jinghu (1891 ~ 1967), great-grandson of Zhang Ming’s several generation of accumulated more perfect. It is based on the absorption of the ancient mud figurines, pottery and painted sculpture art and religion in the clay Zhang Yuan, also absorbs the modern sculpture techniques, and to the bishop shape, simple and bright colors, strong decorative taste, rich flavor of life art characteristics, become the modern folk developed from the famous arts and crafts school, for hundreds of years of continuous, enduring. Xu Beihong famous painter of China praised the clay figurine Zhang characters “no special features of zygomatic hand foot mouth vivid, vivid and muscle are consistent”.
Clay figurine Zhang second generation descendant of Zhang Yuting, tend to the road of realism creation, enrich the performance skills, expanded the work scope of subject matter. The creation of Zhang Yuting’s “three hundred and sixty elements”, to observe the life of fine detail, the work of the ingenious, make Xu Beihong see. Later Xu Beihong Wen praised the “sell cake” and other works is a masterpiece of realism, they have the world first-class level of art, and then to the world’s most famous sculpture master comparable. In 1915, Zhang Yuting’s works won prizes in the Panama exposition, known as the “rise above the common herd” for.
Clay figurine Zhang third generation descendant of the creation of Zhang Jinghu’s “east wind”, by a group of old people play scene, to reflect the socialist era spirit, vivid images. Clay figurine Zhang fourth generation descendant of Zhang Ming, the 1976 Tangshan earthquake, the disaster scene, created a “double day”. We hit an old worker to airdrop food and drug at the time of excitement, this piece was selected in 1977 national art exhibition. Zhang Ming has engaged in the creation, on the one hand to teach their skills to young people. In recent years, the old artist has trained hundreds of Niren Zhang clay workers, the clay figurine Zhang clay sculpture art into a social art from the exclusive art creation, expanding the ranks.
Clay figurine Zhang generation has new development, clay figurine Zhang works at home and abroad, in 2006 May the Ministry of culture of clay Zhang Caisu was included in the first batch of national intangible cultural heritage.
