Tianmen Sugar Figurine

China Intangible Cultural Heritage

Year: 2008

Sort: Folk Fine Arts

Area: Hubei

Serial No.: VII-88

Declarer: Tianmen City, Hubei Province

Tianmen sugar figurine, listed among the second batch of China intangible cultural heritage, is a folk sculpture which is popular among regions around Tianmen, Hubei Province.It is evolved from sugar offering as recorded in ancient books of Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty, having rich cultural implications.

Using maltose, which is difficult to decoct and process, as raw material, employing ways distinctive from sugar drawing such as blowing, molding, the images of Tianmen sugar figurine are of exaggerating modeling and with lucid and lively colors.

The themes of Tianmen sugar figurine are mainly centered around figure, animals, flowers, birds, fishes, and worms, etc., serving to pursue good fortune and avoid disasters. Craftsmen of sugar sculpture are good at enlarging volume by blowing and enriching details, by molding and creating interesting dynamics and by connecting parts by springs. By means of all these artful techniques, aesthetic taste and creativity of folk artists are fully displayed.