Chinese Clay Sculptures（中国民间泥塑）

The art of clay figure modeling in China boasts a long history that dates back to the Neolithic Age (about 4,000 to 10,000 years B.P.). For instance, some pottery pigs and sheep have been discovered at 6,000 to 7,000-year-old Hemudu site in Zhejiang Province. And the life-size terra cotta warriors and horses unearthed in 1974 from the mausoleum of the First Emperor(259-210 BC) of the Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) have been referred to as the "Eighth Wonder of the Ancient World." In face, archaeologists have excavated a great number of pottery figurines, animals, chariots, and boats from the tombs of the following Han Dynasty (206 BC-AD 220). Naturally, the funeral custom of burying figurines and objects with dead gave impetus to the development of clay sculpture at that time.By and large, the widely-spread clay sculpture characterized by strong local features and styles is an important window to learn China's colorful folk arts and cultures.