Innovation gives new lease on life to clay figurines in E China's Wuxi

Huishan clay figurines are made of black clay found at the foot of Huishan Mountain in Wuxi city, east China's Jiangsu Province. Dating back more than 400 years, Huishan clay figurines were listed in the first batch of the country's national intangible cultural heritage.

Innovative development has given the intangible cultural heritage item a new lease on life by integrating it into contemporary life.

Photo shows “A Fu” (right) and “A Xi",  the two most famous traditional Huishan clay figurines. (Xinhua/Zhu Guoliang)

During the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), there were over 40 workshops of Huishan clay figurines. The two most famous traditional figurines are "A Fu" and "A Xi," meaning "good fortune" and "joy." However, many workshops were closed down.

In 1954, the local government organized artists and workshops to establish a cooperative to produce Huishan clay figurines. Four years later, the cooperative changed its name to the "Huishan clay figurine factory."

But the traditional figurines of "A Fu" and "A Xi" couldn't rival trendy toys and the factory suffered losses for consecutive years before 2019, said Xia Zheng, executive deputy general manager of the factory.

In 2020, the Huishan clay figurine factory embarked on a new path of integrating the intangible cultural heritage item with festivals, celebrations and traditional folk customs.

Photo shows “MOMO” (left) and “NANI", two clay figurines created by the Huishan clay figurine factory. (Xinhua/courtesy of the Huishan clay figurine factory)

The factory endowed its clay figurine products with new functions. For example, artists at the factory produced medals featuring the ancient Huishan clay figurine culture.

At a mountain climbing race event in Wuxi during this year's Spring Festival holiday, each climber who completed the race received an aluminum alloy medal featuring the clay figurine of "A Xi" with modern adaptations.

"By combing the traditional art of Huishan clay figurines with modern metalwork, the medals are of commemorative significance and are collectable," said Zhou Hanqing, designer of the medal and a senior artist at the Huishan clay figurine factory.

Artists at the factory have developed a wide range of decorative yet functional products featuring Huishan clay figurine culture, such as table lamps and humidifiers.

Based on "A Fu" and "A Xi," the factory has also worked with a design company to create "mystery" boxes of designer toys, which are more modern and attractive to young consumers, and named them NANIMOMO. In the Wuxi dialect, Huishan clay figurines are pronounced "NANIMOMO." The factory also uses PVC and 3D printing to produce such designer toys.

Other "mystery" boxes are themed on Wuxi's famous food, which feature Huishan clay figurines and are favorably received by the market.

"In the past, we secured 20,000 yuan ($2,910) worth of orders of Huishan clay figurines a month. Since 2020, our orders have gradually increased, and now we usually receive 200,000 yuan in orders a month," Xia said.

Wang Jie, deputy general manager of the factory, said these designer toys have injected new vitality into Huishan clay figurines.

Through such innovations, the factory has been making profits. Last year, it recruited four new apprentices born after 2000.

"We can inherit the traditional craft of Huishan clay figurines while keeping up to date with the latest trends," Xia said.

A child makes a clay figurine at a NANIMOMO coffee shop in Wuxi, east China’s Jiangsu Province. (Xinhua/Zhu Guoliang)

Wuxi is home to a new chain of coffee shops themed on the ancient Huishan clay figurine culture. The NANIMOMO Cafe chain now has over 10 branches in the city.

The coffee shops display clay figurines and related cultural and creative products. Aside from drinking coffee, people can also try to make clay figurines on site.

Wang said the factory will collaborate with large-scale chain brands of the food, cultural and creative, and clothing industries to enable more people to learn about and inherit Huishan clay figurines.