Clay sculpture (Tang Haibo clay sculpture), a traditional art project in the second batch of representative projects of Huai'an City's intangible cultural heritage. Historical origins The clay sculpture (Tang Haibo clay sculpture) in Hongze County, Huai'an City, was inherited from Wuxi clay sculpture. In the late Qing Dynasty, a Wuxi clay sculpture artist drifted to the Hongze area to make a living and found that the local loess was very sticky and very suitable for making clay sculptures. He used this loess to mold clay figures, mold clay dolls, paint them, and then sell them at major temple fairs, making a living. People who went to the temple fair liked it very much and bought clay sculptures to put in their homes to pray for children, ward off evil spirits, protect the house, and bring good luck. Since then, Wuxi clay sculpture has been widely circulated in Hongze, and it has a history of more than a hundred years. Content and characteristics The raw materials for clay sculptures are generally sticky and delicate clay. If the clay is too wet, it should be placed in a ventilated place indoors to let the soil dry and reach the appropriate humidity. If the clay is too dry, it should be smashed, soaked in a proper amount of water, and then pounded to make it soft and hard enough without sticking to the hands. The processed clay blocks should be placed in a container and covered with a wet cloth or plastic cloth to maintain a certain humidity for future use. Generally speaking, cotton wool and other fibers should be added to the clay to maintain its toughness. The clay sculptures of Tang Haibo in Hongze inherited the production process of Wuxi clay sculptures and are divided into two categories: coarse goods and fine goods. Coarse goods, also known as play goods, are generally made by using molds to print blanks and hand-painted, with themes mainly praying for blessings and auspiciousness. The works have exaggerated shapes, simple and clumsy lines, and are plump and childish overall. The painting is rough and the color contrast is strong, mainly for children to play. Fine goods are mainly hand-kneaded, and the works are mostly based on drama themes, so they are called hand-kneaded drama. There are also Buddha statues and works reflecting current life. Hand-kneaded drama reproduces the typical scenes of drama performances, highlights the momentary expressions of drama characters, and has vivid shapes and bright colors. The production process of rough goods is generally divided into four steps: making a prototype, casting, casting and coloring. Making a prototype is to make a prototype. On a piece of mixed clay, use carving, molding, kneading and other techniques to shape an image, and then go through the processes of modification, polishing and drying. Some places need to be burned to strengthen the strength. Casting is to use soft and wet clay to press on the prototype to make a mold. Common single-piece molds and double-piece molds are used. Complex works require multiple molds. Casting is to use a mold to press the clay figurine. Usually, the mixed clay is rolled into a sheet, then pressed into the mold, and then the two pieces of pressed clay molds are closed and pressed tightly. However, the clay figurine must be kept hollow, and a hole is left on the body to allow air to circulate inside and outside the body to prevent the air pressure changes inside the body from damaging the clay. After the clay body is made, it is time for the last process of coloring. There is a saying that "three parts of clay figurine and seven parts of coloring" is used for pigmenting. Generally, a layer of base color is applied before coloring to keep the surface smooth and easy for the painted color to adhere to it. The production of fine goods generally has the following processes: designing the shape, kneading, and coloring. To make fine goods, you must first have an idea and design the shape of the work. Then, according to the needs of the work, select clay blocks of appropriate size, and knead from the feet according to the designed artistic shape, generally from bottom to top, from inside to outside. If it is a more complex work, it must be combined in sections. After the kneading is successful, it is then colored, with delicate brushstrokes, from head to toe, from the expression of the character to the folds of the clothes, to make exquisite descriptions. The clay sculptures are vivid and lifelike, with bright and pleasing colors, and have high ornamental and collection value. (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.) (No pictures yet, welcome to provide.)