Wang Hsin-hsiang recalls his childhood more than eighty years ago in Lukang:
The winter solstice had always been a big occasion in our family. The adults would sit around the table talking about the year gone by and making t'ang-yuan (dumplings served in broth), while the children would crowd around trying to help, but actually doing more harm than good. That's when the grownups would mold little figures for us to play with.
The figures were commonly seen objects, like chickens, ducks, dogs, rabbits, fish, or vegetables, but were always called "hens and hounds." They were a kind of seasonal treat for the children. And after we grew tired of playing with them, they had another use. We'd dry them on the stove until they were crisp and tasty and eat them. Parents thought it kept children from wetting their beds!
The origin of molded dough figurines is traced by some back to an incident in which Chu-ko Liang, the crafty statesman of the Three Kingdoms Period, ordered his cooks to make figures of flour to appease the ghosts that were said to be blocking his army from crossing a river.
Ancient books provide other clues to their origin, although finding references is not easy, because molded dough figurines, unlike paper cutting or lion dancing, were considered a trivial form of folk entertainment unworthy of mention.
In Tung-ching Meng Hua Lu, or The Eastern Capital: A Dream of Splendors Past, Meng Yuan-lao (fl. 1110 to 1160) of the Sung dynasty noted that a pair of kuo-shih chiang-chun, or "cake generals," would be thrown in for free if people bought a large quantity of ch'iao-kuo, or "clever cakes," on the festival of the seventh day of the seventh lunar month. Ch'iao-kuo were made of flour, and folklorist Kuo Li-ch'eng speculates that the "cake generals" must have been too, so it's probably not too far off to call them the ancestors of molded dough figurines.
What function these cake generals had is no longer known, but other records allow us to surmise that molded dough figurines have long been a part of the traditional Chinese culinary arts. In addition to serving up real food for consumption, ancient banquets traditionally included a side table of artificial dishes for display, decorated with paper flowers or figurines. After the banquet, the decorations became playthings for children or were thrown away.
As the centuries went by, the grand banquets described above gradually disappeared, but the custom of providing display tables of decorative dishes lives on at religious sacrifices and is part of the reason that molded dough figurines are so widespread on Taiwan.
The folk culture of Taiwan in the old days was all brought to the island from southern Fukien province, and molded dough figurines are no exception. Wang Shih-hsiang recalls that the first time he saw molded dough figurines was in 1908. They were set out as offerings at a ceremony at Ma Tsu Temple in Lukang by some local worshipers who had just returned from a pilgrimage to Meichow, in Fukien, but the form hadn't been perfected yet.
Over the eighty years since then, a whole cast of characters have been evolved, such as "Mu-lien saves her mother," "the Eight Immortals crossing the sea," and so forth and so on. They were sold by itinerant craftsmen at fairs, temples, and festive gatherings throughout the island.
During the Japanese occupation, the authorities carefully suppressed large-scale gatherings and temple activities for fear of unrest, and the practice of displaying the figurines as offerings at sacrifices fell into decline.
By the late 1970s, a surge in interest in local folk crafts among the media and the public led to renewed attention to molded dough figurines. Private and government cultural institutions actively promoted all kinds of folk crafts, and molded dough figurines managed to reappear in contemporary life.
Serving as toys or offerings is still their main function, but molded dough figurines have acquired a host of new looks and uses.
Popular cartoon characters and space creatures have been added to the traditional cast of figures. Some come with battery-powered lights, and technical improvements in preservation have enabled them to serve as desk ornaments or wall decorations. They have even been used as illustrations in children's books and in television commercials.
Making the figurines is a performance as well as an art, and some craftsmen tell the stories of the characters as they shape them. A few of the special varieties are as follows:
1) Jumbos. Most figurines are two or three inches long and built around a bamboo stick, but these run from eight inches to more than a foot long and need a special framework to hold them together.
2) Miniatures. Su Wen-kui has modeled "The Oath of Fraternity in the Peach Orchard" in a pistachio shell and "Eight Immortals Crossing the Ocean" on a peach pit, but he says it's pretty hard on the eyes and he isn't able to do them much anymore.
3) Vegetable figurines. These consist of a fruit or vegetable as a base, with the rest of the decorations made of molded dough. The effect is something like Mr. Potato Head.
4) Relief sculptures. Here the dough is molded against a wooden backing. A common subject is Peking opera faces.
5) Dough paintings. These are pictures painted with colored dough. The cracks that form in the dough after it dries add an interesting effect.
After more than a year of research by the Yang Wen-yuan Studio, with help and support from the Council for Cultural Planning and Development, an exhibit called the Marvelous World of Molded Figurines will open at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall in Taipei around the start of the lunar new year. The exhibit consists of more than 1,200 items, arranged in the categories of traditional figurines, modern figurines, molding techniques, and the stories behind the figurines. Figurine molding activities will be held in conjunction with the exhibit to add to the fun.
They're hard to resist!
[Picture Caption]
Brightly colored molded dough figurines come in a host of traditional styles.
A pair of molded relief sculptures.
A dough painting.
How are they made? From top left: Preparing the materials, molding the head, dotting the eyes, shaping the torso, putting on the clothes, marking the hands, adjusting the posture, done! The sequence shows Shu Wen-kui in action. (photos by Vincent Chang)
A tortoise at a temple offering represents longevity.
A molded dough replica of a display for religious offerings.
Dough figurines molded around duck eggs were popular twenty years ago.
Mr. Rooster and family belong to the category of "vegetable figurines."
This lifelike insect display gives most kids a scare when they first see it.
A finely crafted desktop decoration.
These molded dough miniatures need a magnifying glass to be seen clearly.
A pair of molded relief sculptures.
A pair of molded relief sculptures.
How are they made? From top left: Preparing the materials, molding the head, dotting the eyes, shaping the torso, putting on the clothes, marking the hands, adjusting the posture, done! The sequence shows Shu Wen-kui in action. （photos by Vincent Chang）
A tortoise at a temple offering represents longevity.
A molded dough replica of a display for religious offerings.
Dough figurines molded around duck eggs were popular twenty years ago.
Mr. Rooster and family belong to the category of "vegetable figurines.".
This lifelike insect display gives most kids a scare when they first see it.
A finely crafted desktop decoration.
These molded dough miniatures need a magnifying glass to be seen clearly.
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