Quick Answer: What Are Fengxiang Clay Figurines?
Fengxiang clay figurines (凤翔泥塑, Fèngxiáng nísù) are painted folk sculptures associated with Liuying and nearby villages in Fengxiang, Shaanxi. A clay shape can be made in a mold and finished by hand. The craft includes seated tigers and other animals, plaques for hanging and standing figures from stories. [1][2][4]
- Body: Local clay can be prepared with paper fiber.
- Surface: A light ground carries outlines and strong colors.
- Forms: A sculpture can stand on its own or hang as a relief plaque. [1][2][4]
Look at the profile to see what the clay supplies, then look at the lines to see what the painter added.
A Fengxiang tiger can have the same round cheeks as another from its mold, yet look different once a painter gives it a brow, a nose and a pattern across its forehead. Part of the expression is set before the clay dries. The rest appears when the brush reaches it.
How a Clay Shape Leaves the Mold
The heritage record describes a sticky local clay known as bǎnbǎntǔ (板板土). A workshop account describes kneading clay with paper fiber before shaping. It documents a tiger-head plaque made by pressing a flattened piece into a mold. The mold gives the face its raised brows, cheeks and other shapes. Once the clay holds that shape, the maker lifts it out and lets it dry before applying the ground and colors. [1][2]
A mold repeats the main shape. Handwork can refine the edge, remove extra clay and prepare the face for painting. A shallow plaque and a figure that must stand have different profiles and places of support. They belong to a larger group of Chinese clay figurines made with different regional materials and methods. [1][2][4]
How the White Ground Carries Color
A white ground gives the painted marks a bright surface. A maker can then draw the eyes and the main divisions of the pattern in dark lines. The account distinguishes the strong main lines that set out the form from thinner strokes within the pattern. On a tiger face, a line can separate the eyes from the brow or give a painted patch its own edge. [2][4]
In the published workshop account, red and green provide much of the contrast, while smaller areas of pink or yellow alter the balance. Hu Shen’s household displayed both brightly colored figures and pieces worked mainly in dark lines. The linework can carry the design on its own. A clear coating may be added after the paint dries. [2][4][5]
Three Forms and Where They Appear
The national register groups Fengxiang work into animals and toys, hanging plaques, and standing human figures. Animals include the zodiac subjects. A hanging tiger head is a relief made to be seen from the front. A standing human figure can show a story character in its clothing, expression and pose. [1][4]
The register describes figures sold at temple fairs and placed at home to express wishes for protection or good fortune. The clay form helps determine how a figure is placed and seen. A seated tiger can stand on a table. A relief plaque brings its face into view on a wall or another upright surface. [1][2][4]
How Liuying Makers Develop the Craft
Fengxiang clay sculpture was included in China’s first national intangible cultural heritage list in 2006. Hu Shen learned the craft in his family, and a profile describes different household members making blanks and painting. The profile describes Hu Shen preparing clay and making blanks, while his wife specialized in painting them. [1][4]
Hu Xinming, another nationally recognized maker, worked on the durability of the clay body and switched to plaster molds in his workshop. In 2026, Shaanxi Daily reported that his son Hu Jinwei drew on the traditional clay horse for a New Year figure with a broad chest, red cheeks and a painted peony. He also developed workshop lessons for different age groups. The workshop’s experiments with a stronger body addressed the difficulty of transporting fragile pieces. The new horse changes the pose and painted ornament while keeping the zodiac animal recognizable. [3][5][6]
FAQs About Fengxiang Clay Figurines
Are Fengxiang clay figurines fired like pottery?
The documented method for a Fengxiang tiger plaque dries the clay in the air before the white ground and paint are applied. The finished plaque in this account is painted over a dried clay body. [1][2]
Do pieces from the same mold all look alike?
A mold repeats the basic shape. The painter can change the outline, the color and the pattern. The final appearance also depends on how the blank was finished. [2][4][5]
Why is the tiger a familiar Fengxiang figure?
Fengxiang includes seated tigers and plaques shaped as tiger heads. Households have displayed such figures as expressions of protection and good fortune. [1][3][4]
Sumber
[1] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Clay Sculpture: Fengxiang
[2] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (Jaringan Warisan Budaya Takbenda Tiongkok). The Making and Development of Fengxiang Clay Sculpture
[3] China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network. Hu Xinming
[4] Zhang Xin, China Culture Daily. Hu Shen and the Craft of Fengxiang Clay Sculpture
[5] China National Radio. Transmission and Innovation in Fengxiang Clay Sculpture
[6] Shaanxi Daily, via Baoji News. New Fengxiang Clay Sculptures