Dirt is a gift from nature
It is the foundation that nourishes all things
In ancient Chinese mythology
The legend of Nüwa who made man out of the earth
Gives the clay a magical color
Skillful folk craftsmen
It's even more about putting dirt
It has become a colorful clay sculpture art
Qiu's clay sculpture "Chungju Old Street"
The traditional clay sculpture technique of Qiu's clay sculpture in Zhongxian County originated from the ancient folk craft of Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province, through the "Guangdong Mountain" (now Basho Village, Golden Town, Zhongxian County) Qiu's Taigao Ancestral Qiu Shiyuan (1746-1828), and the efforts of the following 7 generations, gradually formed the Zhongxian Qiu's clay sculpture, a folk clay sculpture art school with local characteristics, which has been passed down for more than 300 years. Carried forward by the seventh generation of Qiu Zhenghua, Qiu's clay sculpture was selected as the fifth batch of Chongqing Municipal Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016.
Qiu's clay sculpture "Bai Juyi"
In order to effectively practice the "people's intangible cultural heritage for the people to share", chungju Museum launched the "Craftsmanship - Chungnam Qiu Clay Sculpture Exhibition" on October 29, telling the centuries-old history of the municipal intangible cultural heritage - Chungnam Qiu clay sculpture.
Qiu's clay sculptures have been passed down for eight generations in our county, and the works are rich in themes and have strong local characteristics. The exhibition is divided into three chapters: origin, inheritance and continuation, which show the history, present and future of Qiu's clay sculpture in multiple dimensions and in all aspects, as well as the process of clay sculpture production. In the exhibition hall, not only can you see the clay sculpture works of loyal generals such as "Clay Sculpture General", "Ba Manzi Statue", "Qin Liangyu"; you can also see works such as "Confucius", "Mencius", "Zhang Zhongjing", "Bai Juyi" and other works that express Confucian Or traditional cultural images; you can also see clay sculpture works that express the humanistic beauty of Zhongxian County, such as "Chungju Old Street" and "ShiBaozhai"; but also see clay sculpture works that express beautiful meanings such as "Fish Leaping Dragon Gate" and "Xiangshi Jewelry Box".
Qiu's clay sculpture "The Defending General"
Qiu's clay sculpture "Qin Liangyu"
Qiu's clay sculpture "Yan Yan"
Qiu's clay sculpture "Confucius" "Mencius"
Qiu's clay sculpture "Zhang Zhongjing"
Qiu's clay sculpture "Shi Baozhai"
Qiu's clay sculpture "Chungju Old Town"
Qiu's clay sculpture production process is extremely complex, the selection of materials is extremely exquisite, clay sculpture raw materials include clay, sand, straw, cotton, tung oil, sand and stone, etc., need to go through the "selection of soil, mixing mud, skeleton, carving prototype, plastic flesh, color" and other 6 processes can be formed, each clay sculpture work is handmade, are orphaned, has a high humanistic historical value, folk art value and collection value, in Zhong County Shibaozhai, Sandai Temple, Yunyang Zhangfei Temple, Fengdu Ghost City, Hubei Yichang Ancestral Hall, Temples and tourist attractions such as Beijing Miyun Bashu Cultural Amusement Park are on display.
Some clay sculpture making tools
Qiu's clay sculpture paintings
With a pair of skillful hands, generation after generation, with a handful of clay, a statue is sculpted. The success of Qiu's clay sculpture craft is not achieved overnight, and behind the inheritance is the unremitting efforts and persistence of generations. They choose a career, dedicate their lives, live in a corner, and remain calm and persistent. Observe life, absorb the world's conditions, pluck the mud to understand the heart, the work has a unique style and bone; look forward to it, Qiu's clay sculpture will continue for a hundred years of ingenuity.
Exhibition Name: "Ingenious Craftsmanship - Zhongxian Qiu's Clay Sculpture Exhibition"
Organizer: Chungju Museum
Exhibition venue: Chungju Museum 3rd floor temporary exhibition hall (2).
Exhibition time: 2021.10.29--2021.12.31
Source: Chung County Tourism