In North China's Shanxi province, flour is a main material for the food, and there are more than a hundred types of food made from flour in the area. While making food, people hundreds of years ago tried to make it beautiful, as well as delicious. They made the steamed bread or other kinds of cake into different shapes. And these cakes and breads are the so-called "flour sculpture" today.
There are mainly three types of flour sculptures in Shanxi, namely Baked Flour Sculpture, Colored Flour Sculpture, and White Flour Sculpture.
Among the three types of flour sculptures, the Baked Flour Sculpture from Yangcheng area is the most unique. In the color of brown, the sculptures are made into vivid images of historical characters. If not noted, many people may consider them as sculptures made from clay, but they are actually a kind of food. Qu Fanxing is a folk artist of the flour sculpture.
"The sculpture is made from common flour. While making the dough, water in which almonds were steeped is added to make the dough fine and easy to shape. And after the dough is kneaded into different images, it's baked near the fire. That's why the sculpture is called baked flour sculpture."
And the brown color is made from sugar, Qu Fanxing explains.
"We have a kind of food called Xun, which is sweet. We melt it into liquid, and then paint the liquid sugar on the sculpture. Children like the food very much."
To make the delicate details of the images, many tools in people's daily lives are used, such as buttons, combs, and even seeds with different shapes. As the dough is not fermented, and little water is left in the process of baking, the baked flour sculpture can be stored for up to seven or eight years if well preserved. However, it can not be eaten after such a long period and is only a piece of art work for appreciation.
Different to the Baked Flour Sculpture, Colored Flour Sculpture is more like food. With round and flowered steamed bread as the base, many colorful flour decorations are on the top. And according to Duan Gaifang, a researcher of folk art in Shanxi Folk Art Center, it is actually the Chinese style cake in Shanxi province.
"The base of the colored flour sculpture is steamed bread that is about 10 centimeters thick. It is like today's cake. In the past, after paying sacrifice to the ancestors, people would take the colorful flower decorations on the top off and eat the base."
Although the base of the sculpture is steamed bread, the flower decorations on the top are not steamed, Duan Gaifang says.
"The dough is made from flour mixed with boiled water. Then it can be made into different shapes. It cannot be steamed, since the shape may be destroyed by the hot temperature. There are various designs for different situations, such as dragon and phoenix for wedding, and nine lions for birthdays of older people as nine lions represent longevity."
The colored flour sculptures are generally large in size and with many decorations on the top. Duan Gaifang says many people may get involved in the making process.
"While there is an event such as a wedding or birthday party, women who know how to make the sculpture would gather together to make it, some make the dough, some make the decoration, and some dye the color. It requires cooperation among people and the good relationships among residents in the same village."
Compared to Baked and Colored flour sculptures, the White Flour Sculpture seems to be easier to make. With no color added, the sculpture remains the natural white color of the steamed bread. And besides the special designs, the sculptures are similar to normal steamed bread. 46-year-old Xu Aihua has been making them since she was a little girl.
"We use semi-fermented dough to make the sculpture since it's stronger than fully fermented dough. After the dough is shaped, it is steamed and no other material is added. As for the design, all kinds of images like plants, animals or characters are adopted in creating the sculptures."
About 50 years ago, these distinctive works of food art were commonly seen in people's houses in Shanxi area. But nowadays, fewer and fewer people are participating in making such sculptures. Experts suggest some kind of workshops may be established where the flour sculptures can be ordered by people who need them. And as the art can bring income, it may be spread and well preserved.