|
|
1.Beginning
The holy palanquins were made for the gods. In line
with this theme we made fruit offerings for worshiping and Matzu statues with
paper clays. Since we usually see Matzu statues in pilgrimage parades, we asked
the third and fourth graders of our school to help with the making of the Matzu
statues.
Also,
since real fruit offering spoils, people later use flour to make the offerings.
However, the flour made offerings still gets moldy, so they started to make
edible flour miniatures. Taiwanese kanzhuo consisted of flour miniatures. In
Taiwanese it’s also called “moaji ang ah”. In the early days, the artistry of
making flour miniatures was used on the making of “kanzhuo”. Kanzhuo is the
offerings for big worshiping ceremonies and zhuojo. In most temples they use
levels as units. One level equals twelve tables. Each table must have nine
types of flour miniature offerings. The table at the very front is called the
head table and usually uses the dragon, and the table at the very end is called
the end table and it presents miniatures of Baxian, Quanyin, and Milefo. In the
middle were tables of the sea (creatures of the sea), land (flowers, fruits,
vegetables) and mountain (birds and beasts). In the early period the flour
miniatures were eaten after they’ve been used for worshiping. Therefore they
all have red bean fillings in them. Later kanzhuo was evolved into flour
miniatures. After the republic of Taiwan, it is common to see flour miniatures
on the streets. Flour miniatures were then evolved into the paper clay we see
today. Therefore, we’ve asked the first and second graders to make paper clay
fruit offerings. Apples represent peace. Pineapples represent good luck, and
tangerines represent good fortune.
2.Paper Clay Fruit Offering Making Process
- 1First make the fruit offering basket. Second, create lines on the basket, and
then put in the fruit offerings.
- Apple: Roll the clay into a ball then make an indentation, then poke a hole,and then make the stem and the leaf.
- Orange: Roll the clay into a ball then make an indentation, then use a brush tomake the pattern on the skin of the orange. Poke a hole and then make the stem
and the leaf.
- Pineapple: Make body of the fruit. Cut the patterns and then make the leaves.
- Use card holders to decorate, fruit offerings completed, allow clay art work tobe more useful and decorative
3.Process of Matzu Statue Making:
-
Use yellow clay to make the body and press on decorative lines.
- Use nude colored clay to make the face of the doll, its facial features, andhair
- Use dark brown clay to make the hat.
- Roll gold colored clay into balls to have the beaded veil on the hat.
- Use red clay to make the tassels.
- Adorable mini Matzu statue completed.
|
|
 |
 |
|
Use yellow clay to make the body
|
Use nude clay to make the head
|
Use dark brown clay to make the hat
|
|
|
 |
 |
|
Use gold clay and roll it into a round ball
|
Use the gold ball to make the pearl on the hat
|
Mini Matzu Statue Complete
|
|
