Archaeologists in China have found a large number of clay sculptures in ancient tombs during the Qin and Han Dynasties, including pottery, animal models and carriage models. The rich funeral customs in ancient China promoted the development and progress of clay sculpture culture and craft to some extent. So clay sculpture culture became an important artistic expression in Han Dynasty.
At that time, the spread of Taoism and Buddhism led to the construction of a large number of Taoist temples, temples and other buildings. These places needed a lot of clay sculptures, which greatly promoted the rise of clay sculptures. Later, in the Tang and Song Dynasties, the art of clay sculpture reached its peak, and small clay toys were also derived. After the Yuan and Qing Dynasties, the clay sculpture art gained great popularity and entered the homes of ordinary people as ornamental objects.
Clay sculpture has also made different development in different areas of China. For example, the most famous colored sculpture in Wuxi is superior to bright colors and exquisite decoration. Huishan has clay figurines with a long history and is famous for its rich patterns. There is also a very famous clay product in Fengxiang County, Shaanxi Province, which has a distinctive local flavor and a wide variety of toys, including 170 kinds of Fengxiang clay sculptures, which are remarkable. With the development of modern tourism, this intangible culture shines brilliantly in people's minds and among the people, and has won universal praise from the international community. Many people choose to send clay sculptures as gifts when communicating with foreign friends, which also proves the status of clay sculptures in China's traditional art.