Chinese Mud Men Villager Figurines

Set of 6 chinese mud men villager figurines, ranging in size from 4.5”- 8.9” tall. Two appear to be missing fishing poles.

Mud men history:
The antique/vintage mudman is a highly valued collectible item. Mudmen were brightly glazed figurines of women, wise men and old sages, sometimes fishing, seated or standing, holding flutes, scrolls, pots, fish and other objects of mystical importance.

The thing that separates antique mud men figurines from the ordinary, is that they were made individually by hand. It has been suggested this was a 'cottage industry' involving nearly every member of the village in the production of these oriental curios. As the story goes, when the harvesting of rice was complete and the dry season had set in, the villagers turned to figurine production as a means of establishing a vigorous economy. This accounts for the varying degrees of quality apparent in each of the pieces.

The 'mud' or clay for the figures was pressed into a mould by hand, at this point each part would be individually moulded to be assembled by the various crafters at the appropriate time. Fingerprints can often still be seen, immortalised in the fired clay. After the torso was released from the mould, the head, hands and legs or feet would be added. Then hair, hats, beards and other items would complete the ensemble. As a finishing touch, eyes, nose and ears would be pierced to add further detail. Then the entire collection of the works would be fired in a kiln to cure the clay.

The mudmen were hand painted with a low temperature lead glass glaze in the traditional 'yellow mustard' and 'cerulean blue', 'celadon' a green glaze, has been suggested as being used to represent 'jade'. Finally, the occasional use of white or brown was used to break the monotony of the tri-colours. The head, hands and face were left unglazed to expose the natural colour of the mud that was often enough, a flesh tone.

18%

Kat Liu and Kevin Condardo | (917) 409-8412 | Katandkev@clearinghouseestatesales.com

Pickup Details

PRIVATE RESIDENCE

Brookfield, CT 06804

When to Pickup

Saturday, 9/19, 12:00 pm to 5:00 pm

Ask a Question

Report Item