China · Sculpture / Food Craft
面人 (Miànrén)
Dough figurine modeling (面人 miànrén) is the traditional Chinese folk craft of sculpting miniature figures from a cooked and colored dough compound using fingers, palms, and a small set of simple tools. Historically practiced by itinerant street artists throughout China, with regional centers in Beijing and Sichuan, the craft produces recognizable opera characters, mythological figures, and folk narrative scenes in vivid color, typically at 5–15cm scale. The procedural knowledge centers on dough compound preparation (the ratio of glutinous rice flour, wheat flour, salt, and honey determines workability, color absorption, and preservation lifespan), and the speed-sculpting technique — experienced practitioners complete a recognizable figure in 5–15 minutes using only three fingers and a bamboo tool.
Risk level: Endangered · China National ICH List (2008)
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