Fascinating Gaomi clay figurines

Gaomi clay sculptures are produced mainly in Niejiazhuang Village, Gaomi County, Shandong province. The sculptures have a long history, dating back more than 400 years. In the Long Qing and Wan Li periods of the Ming Dynasty, farmers in Gaomi began to design and make a kind of clay firework called "Guo Zihua" (also called "Ni Dunzi") for sale. Later, they began to shape the clay base in which the firework was put into the form of a doll. After the fireworks were set off, the clay dolls could be used as toys or decorations.

More and more kinds of clay figurines have come into being as artists’ skills and creativity have improved. Common subjects for the figurines include animals like the tiger, lion, monkey, dog, cat, chicken and duck, legendary stories such as the White Snake, Sun Wukong, the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid and Pigsy's Wife on His Back, and mythical figures such as the Guanyin Bodhisattva, Maitreya Buddha and the Eight Immortals. There are also many clay figurines with sound effects. These figurines are made lively through their coloring.

Today the clay figurines are no longer fireworks' containers, but have become a kind of independent handicraft. In the Qian Long period of the Qing Dynasty, Niejiazhuang Village clay sculptures took on some of the artistic features of the Yangjiabu New-Year Paintings and made a breakthrough in their techniques of expression and coloring. Gradually, sound effects were added as well. At this point, the clay figurines have become a combination of sound, color and motion. These clay toys are commonly seen at country fairs and temple fairs in Weifang City.