Dough Figurines

Sculpture with dough is a folk art known to few countries, if any outside China.

It is interesting to see how a few colored pieces of dough are turned in a matter of minutes into expressive and lively figurines by the trained hands of a folk artist, relying on no model. The figurines are generally about 8 centimeters (3 inches) tall, but recent innovations include figures as tall as 30 centimeters or tiny enough to be displayed in half a walnut shell.

The folk sculptor plies his trade with very simple tools: a spatula, scissors, a comb and a pointed stick, all of diminutive sizes.

The material used by him is prepared of two-thirds purified wheat flour and one-third glutinous rice flour. Mixed with water, the dough is kneaded well while bee-honey and glycerine are added. Cooked in a steamer under cover for half and hour, it will be ready for molding. Other additives in the dough are a little antiseptic and repellent to make the finished figurines durable. The various colors in the dough are from mineral pigments that do not change with time.

Although the art has a history of some 2,000 years, few people specialize in today. Nevertheless, the works produced by the limited umber of dough sculptors in the art and crafts factories of Jinan, Shanghai and Beijing have aroused considerable interest in the collectors of China and abroad.