A Comparative Study of Xun County Mud Gugu and Similar Clay Figurines as Intangible Cultural Heritage

초록

This study investigates the unique artistic value and cultural meaning of Xun County Mud Gugu within the contextof Chinese folk painted clay sculpture, using a multi-dimensional comparative approach. In this study, we conducted acomparative analysis between Mud Gugu and seven representative types of Chinese folk clay figurines. We aim tohighlight Mud Gugu’s cultural distinctiveness and artistic value within the national intangible cultural heritageframework. To achieve this, we constructed a tripartite analytical model focusing on subject matter and function,historical-cultural context, and visual style and technique. Our unique contribution lies in integrating literature review,fieldwork, and visual analysis to establish a cross-regional comparison framework that has been largely absent inprevious research. The results show that Mud Gugu features symbolic animal motifs, ritualistic functional meanings,and a stylized visual language deeply rooted in temple fair traditions of the Central Plains. We argue that this studyoffers a methodological innovation for evaluating folk clay figurines and underscores the significance of symbolicaesthetics in heritage preservation and regional identity formation.

키워드