Subscribe to free Email Newsletter

His clay figurines were very vivid and expressive, and Zhang and his figurines were soon well known in the surrounding area. Zhang not only inherited the legacy of traditional skills but also incorporated skills from other art forms such as painting, opera singing and Chinese folk wood engravings. He created more than 10,000 clay figurines during his life, and his unique handicrafts became famous both at home and abroad. People liked his clay figurines very much and gave him the nickname of Clay Figurine Zhang.

Clay figurines created by Zhang include heroes and villains from Chinese folk stories, novels, and operas as well as scenes from life, which are full of appeal.

Jiang Menshen，a local despot, is one of Zhang's most representative clay figurines. It is only 11 cm high, with a head in the size of a broad bean .

Jiang's distinguishing characteristics are vividly depicted. People can see there are some blue veins in his neck, and a murderous look on his face with raised eyebrows and downward curling lips.

His bulging belly and forbidding countenance seem to show he might show his bad temper at any time. Such a vivid and bold feature reveals Zhang's adept skills and a desire to expose and attack those evil forces.

 Huishan clay figurines

The Huishan clay figurines of Wuxi, Jiangsu Province are in a different style and have a long history.

In the slack seasons, nearly all families in Wuxi make clay figurines. When festivals approaching, many people sell clay figurines at temple and market fairs.

In the Qing Dynasty, there were some professional clay figurine workshops in Huishan. Clay figurine artist Wang Chunlin once made five plates of clay children to the Emperor Qianlong and received high praise. From Emperor Tongzhi's to Guangxu's reign in the Qing Dynasty, more opera figurines were produced and Huishan clay figurine production reached its peak. At that time, there were over 40 clay figurine workshops and stores in Huishan, with more than 30 professional craft workers. When the Empress Dowager Cixi celebrated her 60th birthday, the local officer of Huishan presented a set of clay figurines named Immortality Peach Gathering. From then on, Huishan clay figurines were officially recognized as articles of tribute to the imperial court.