京城风尚｜“泥人张”：形神兼备的彩塑艺术品

Brilliant Heritage of Old Beijing | Clay Figurine Zhang: A Painted Sculpture Combining Form and Spirit

以泥雕形 以手塑意 形意抵心

“泥人张”彩塑

运用富有现实意义的创作手法

是中国古代雕塑艺术中

值得今人发扬的重要文化遗产

A clay handicraft made by heart

Clay Figurine Zhang

is a kind of traditional painted sculpture

that incorporates techniques of modern significance

It is a key cultural heritage worth carrying forward by today’s people

（《惜春作画》张景祜， Jia Xichun in Painting by Zhang Jinghu）

什么是北京“泥人张”？

What is Clay Figurine Zhang

泥塑，俗称“彩塑”。泥塑艺术是中国民间传统的一种古老常见的民间艺术，即用粘土塑制成各种形象的一种民间手工艺。在其发展历程中形成了以地域为纽带的多种流派，其中比较著名的天津“泥人张”彩塑是清朝道光年间形成的一个民间艺术流派，现为国家级非物质文化遗产之一。

Clay sculpture, popularly known as painted sculpture, is a traditional folk handicraft in China, which features various types of figurines made of clay. In the course of development, many genres have been formed in different regions, of which the most famous include Tianjin’s Clay Figurine Zhang. A genre of folk art emerged in the reign of Emperor Daoguang of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), it has been inscribed on the list of national intangible cultural heritage in China. 

（《蒋门神》张明山Jiang Menshen by Zhang Mingshan）

20世纪50年代，天津“泥人张”第三代传人张景祜将“泥人张”泥彩塑艺术带进京城，培养了一大批彩塑人才，让“泥人张”从家庭传承，走向了社会传承，成为了一种极具文化底蕴的泥塑文化符号，世代相传。

In the 1950s, Zhang Jinghu, the third-generation inheritor of Clay Figurine Zhang, brought this folk handicraft to Beijing and cultivated a number of sculptors. From that point on, Clay Figurine Zhang turned from a handicraft passed down in a family into one inherited in society. It has since become an iconic genre of clay sculpture with cultural profundity handed down from generation to generation. 

形神兼备的彩塑艺术品

Painted clay sculpture works combining form and spirit

上：《少数民族系列（白族）·育新苗》张錩 下：《西湖主》张錩

Above: Ethnic Minorities Series (Bai)—Cultivating Seedlings by Zhang Chang Below: Master of West Lake by Zhang Chang

Subjects  

创作题材

泥人张创作题材广泛，前期多取材于民间故事、舞台戏剧、古典文学名著，形成了雅致、沉稳、古典的艺术风格。

Clay Figurine Zhang boasts diverse subjects. In the early stage, it mainly drew inspirations from folk tales, traditional operas, and classical novels, forming an elegant, sedate and classical artistic style. 

（《月下对诗》张景祜 Composing Poems Together in the Moonlight by Zhang Jinghu）

第一代“泥人张”更倾向于塑捏动物和古典人物形象，而真人造型的泥人仅用于私人赠送，一般不用于观赏。

而“泥人张”北京支创立后，追求“以泥雕形、以手塑意、形意抵心”，主张将时代精神与个人理念融入传统题材中。

The first-generation craftsmen of Clay Figurine Zhang tended to create clay animals and figures from classical works. Back then, clay figurines based on real persons were usually presented as private gifts, rather than as decorative craftworks. 

The Beijing branch of Clay Figurine Zhang pursues“creating clay handicrafts by heart” and advocates incorporating the spirit of the times and personal art concepts into traditional subjects. 

Laws of Coloring 

色彩规律

“泥人张”的色彩选择深受中国传统色彩文化的影响。红色作为主色调，具有吉祥、喜庆、神佑的寓意，因此多用于泥人张彩塑之中，体现了人们对于传统色彩的喜爱和吉祥如意的追求。

The color usage of Clay Figurine Zhang is deeply influenced by traditional Chinese coloring culture. A color symbolizing good luck, festiveness, and blessing, red is often used in Clay Figurine Zhang works. This indicates people’s preference for traditional colors and their pursuit of happiness and auspiciousness.

（《黛玉》张景祜 Lin Daiyu by Zhang Jinghu）

此外还有常选用较为厚重、朴素的色彩，如灰蓝、白、黑等来表现具有北方特色的着色风格。同时，泥人张彩塑作品善于运用对比色来表现不同的人物性格，根据人物身份及性格特征进行色彩搭配，不同人物身份采用的色彩对比强度也各不相同。

Besides, Clay Figurine Zhang likes to choose solemn, simple colors such as grey-blue, white and black, demonstrating a coloring style of northern China. Moreover, Clay Figurine Zhang works excel at displaying the temperaments of different figures through the use of contrasting colors. They adopt color combinations according to the identity and character of the figure, and the contrasts of colors differ based on the different identities of figures. 

Principles of Shaping 

造型特点

“泥人张”彩塑强调写实性，要求塑造的形象感觉很真实，这种真实是在生活真实的基础上又高于生活的一种艺术真实，它内含了作者的艺术体验和丰富想象。

Clay Figurine Zhang emphasizes realism. The figurines are all lifelike. However, this lifelikeness is a kind of artistic reality rather than living reality. It contains the craftsman’s art experiences and rich imaginations. 

（《算卦》张华堂 Fortuneteller by Zhang Huatang）

泥人张彩塑多用于室内陈列，一般高十多厘米至三四十厘米不等。创作者利用泥土的“可塑性”，先塑造后绘色，捏造出神采奕奕的人物形象。

Clay Figurine Zhang works are mostly used for indoor decoration. Each is 10 to 40 centimeters tall. The craftsmen use the plasticity of clay to shape molds and then color them, thus creating lifelike figurines. 

北京“泥人张”的制作工艺

Making Techniques of the Beijing School of Clay Figurine Zhang 

在北京，“泥人张”最早使用的是昌平红泥沟的泥，这里的泥颜色红、黏性好、可塑性强，另外这里的土还可以作为润滑剂。由于人们大量地取用，红泥沟的土层已经没有了，现在主要使用的是北京门头沟的一种泥，呈黄色、粉末状，掺上适量水就可以使用了。

Initially, the Beijing school of Clay Figurine Zhang used clay from Hongni Valley in Changping District. This kind of reddish clay boasts great viscidity and plasticity. Moreover, the clay could be used as lubricant. However, due to excessive exploitation, this kind of clay has been used up. Nowadays, a kind of yellow clay powder from Beijing’s Mentougou District is used as a substitute. All you need is to mix it with an appropriate amount of water. 

（泥人张原料黏土 The clay material used by Clay Figurine Zhang）

为了增强泥土的粘性，在制作熟泥时还会加入一定量的棉絮，一般是5:1的比例，即5份的黏土，1份的棉花。用一柄木棰反复砸制，直到棉絮全部砸进胶泥内，外部看不到棉絮为止，将胶泥掰开后能看到均匀的棉丝为最好。最后将制好的泥土用油布包好，放入地窑内保存，随用随取。

To increase the clay’s viscidity, people would add certain amounts of cotton by the ratio of 5:1. That means each five units of clay is mixed with a unit of cotton. Then, people repeatedly pound the mixed materials with a wooden hammer until the cotton is completely integrated into the clay and cannot be identified in surface. It is better if even cotton fabrics can be seen if separating a piece of clay into two halves. At last, people wrap the finished clay with oiled cloth and store it in a cellar, which can be used for sculpting clay figurines anytime. 

“泥人张”的继承与发展

Inheritance and Development of Clay Figurine Zhang

泥人张彩塑艺术产生于农业社会的后期，所以本质还是农业生产、生活方式的反映。

由于各时代背景不同，每一代的泥人张艺术家们的作品又各有其特点，比如，第一代“泥人张”张明山的作品更具文人气息，而后面几代人的作品则体现了当代商业模式与泥塑艺术的结合。

The painted sculpture of Clay Figurine Zhang originated in the late period of agricultural society. Therefore, it essentially reflects the ways of production and life of farming society.

Due to varying characteristics of different historical periods, the works of each generation of Clay Figurine Zhang craftsmen show unique features. For instance, the works of Zhang Mingshan, the first-generation Clay Figurine Zhang craftsman, show a richer scholarly style, while those of subsequent generations fuse modern business modes and clay sculpture art. 

（泥人张当代彩塑作品 Contemporary works of Clay Figurine Zhang）

（《丝绸之路》局部张錩 Part of The Silk Road by Zhang Chang）

在泥人张彩塑百年的发展历史上，北京支的繁荣与发展体现了传统艺术在当代文化背景下新的探索成果。这一悠久的传统造型艺术在现代意义上承其“形”、延其“意”、传其“神”，营造出了新的艺术形态，取得了相当大的成功。

Throughout the century-old history of Clay Figurine Zhang, the development and prosperity of the Beijing school of this handicraft embody an achievement in the exploration of traditional art in contemporary cultural context. In modern times, this time-honored traditional handicraft evolves into a new form of art by inheriting its original form and carrying forward its original spirit, which has been proven a great success. 

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