Mianren (Caozhou Mianren)

Name of China's national intangible cultural heritage: Mianren (Caozhou Mianren)

Applicant: Mudan District, Heze City, Shandong Province

Project No.: 828

Project No.: Ⅶ - 52

Time of publication: 2008 (second batch)

Category: traditional art

Region: Shandong Province

Type: new item

Applicant: Mudan District, Heze City, Shandong Province

Protection unit: cultural center of Mudan District, Heze City

Brief introduction of dough figurine (Caozhou dough figurine)

Applicant: Mudan District, Heze City, Shandong Province

Dough figurine, also known as "dough figurine" and "jiangmi people", is a traditional plastic art with edible flour and glutinous rice flour as the main raw materials. It is popular all over the country and deeply loved by the people. Most of the dough figurines take animals and characters in myths and legends, historical stories and local operas as their subjects, and their basic shapes are divided into two types: the "signature type" and the "case type". The former is mostly food and play goods for children's entertainment, with simple shape and vivid shape; the latter is elegant display art, with exquisite workmanship and exquisite shape. It also needs to mix additives in the raw materials for anti cracking, anti insect and anti mildew treatment. Generally, dough figurines are made by kneading, rubbing, kneading, lifting and other techniques to shape the general shape. Then, bamboo knives are used to skillfully place, cut, carve, scratch, depict hands, feet, head, face, facial expression and other local details. Finally, hair accessories, dresses and related plug-ins are added to complete the work. The art of dough figurine mainly relies on the improvisation of the artists who walk through the streets. They have mastered the skillful shaping skills. They know the theme, modeling, color matching and other process procedures clearly, and can turn the dough into a high spirited artistic image in an instant. Dough figurine art, which is inherited and developed among the people, reposes the aesthetic feelings and life ideals of the general public, and provides important material materials for the study of Chinese folk history, customs and art.

Caozhou dough figurine is a kind of Folk Dough sculpture art which has been popular in Caozhou area of Shandong Province for a long time and has a history of more than 150 years. Starting from folk artists such as Hao Sheng, Yang Baisi, Wang Qingyuan and Guo Xiangyun, after six generations of inheritance and development, Caozhou Mianren gradually got rid of the function of "flower offering" and became an ornamental folk handicraft. In the 1920s, Li Junxing and Li Junfu brothers, also known as "two li of culture and military", appeared in Caozhou noodle industry. Li Junxing is good at making talented people and beautiful women, while Li Junfu is good at making military generals and swordsmen. The two brothers have excellent skills and become the representative figures of Caozhou noodle making. By the 1930s, Chinese dough sculpture gradually formed the Li school in Shandong, Zhao school in Shanghai, Tang School and Lang school in Beijing. Although each school had its own characteristics, all of them were influenced by Caozhou dough figurines. Since Li Junxing, Li Fangqing and other dough figurine masters went abroad to perform, Caozhou dough figurines have been increasingly loved by people in Southeast Asia, Europe and the United States, and are well-known in the world, further establishing their position in the history of dough figurines.

Caozhou dough figurine comes from life and has a strong local flavor. It is a treasure of Chinese folk art with its simple and vivid shape, vivid image, appropriate proportion and combination of work and writing. After the 1990s, with the development of economy and the diversification of social life needs, people's enthusiasm for traditional dough figurines gradually declined. The inheritance and development of Caozhou dough figurines are facing a serious crisis and need to be protected.