Cute guardian beast: the making of the tile cat

Course Information

host: Deng Huzang

studio: Cloud Engineering

Age Group: 6 years and above

Course Description: Learn about the origin of Yunnan's intangible cultural heritage "Clay Cat", and make a clay sculpture prototype of the "Clay Cat" under the teacher's hands-on guidance. The finished product will be glazed and fired by the teacher and then mailed back.

include: All the materials you need to create your prototype.

Not included: WaMao 's shipping cost (SF Express, cash on delivery).

Skill focus: Hand shaping, carving, tool use.

period: 2 hours

The legend of the "tile cat"

During the Nanzhao period, a couple lived at the foot of Cangshan Mountain. The husband was a woodcutter who went to Cangshan Mountain to chop wood every day. One day, on his way home, he found a kitten that was almost frozen and took it home. Under the careful care of the couple, the kitten survived and was inseparable from them. As the couple grew old and childless, the clever cat appreciated their kindness and stood on the roof of their house every day, overlooking the entire village. It would go to the smoking households to beg for food. There is such a saying among the Bai people that cats entering the house are lucky and will bring food to the elderly. But this cat did not eat, but brought the food back to the old couple. After several years, after the old couple died, the cat still stood on the roof of their house to watch the house, and finally died on the roof and turned into a skeleton. The local people were very moved when they saw it. People in the funeral industry of Nanzhao liked this cat very much. Its ashes were mixed with colored clay to form the "tile cat" that was later placed on the roof of the house.

In Yunnan, "tile cat" has different names in different places. In Kunming, it is commonly called "tile cat" because it is widely used, while in Lijiang, it is called "four-like beast". In traditional Chinese culture, cats and tigers have the same origin, and "big cat" is tiger. In Chuxiong, it is called "mountain tiger", and in Dali and Heqing, it is called "auspicious tiger".

Today, the "clay cat" has gradually moved away from its traditional functions of warding off evil spirits and attracting wealth, from a tiger-shaped folk handicraft in Yunnan, to a modern cultural and creative product, coming down from the rooftops and entering people's desks, cabinets, and homes.

The “Tile Cat” has a righteous and awe-inspiring shape, and may look fierce and formidable at first glance, but upon closer inspection it reveals a hint of cuteness, as if symbolizing that in the face of evil forces, the “Tile Cat” can transform into a fierce and powerful divine tiger, while in peacetime it can transform into a docile and loyal house cat, crouching on the roof, displaying its charming and innocent charm in a rustic and unadorned style.

step:

1. Mix the Clay

2. Prototype

3 Drying

4 Firing