It was folk art initiated by Zhang Mingshan during the power of Daoguang emperor in Qing Dynasty and has four generations, nearly 180 years history. Clay Figure Zhang has vivid realistic characteristics, and can portray the figures' personality and posture, pursue dissection structure, reasonable exaggeration, suitable acceptance and rejection, special applying to give attention to both shape and spirit and have great originality. Mr. Guo Moruo, Mr.Zhao Puchu, Mr.Wu Zuoren and Mr.Xu Beihong had ever given epigraph respectively. Many television stations have ever made a special report to Clay Figure Zhang such as the station of Tianjin, Hongkong, Taiwan, America, Netherlands, Japan and Korea.

The painted sculpture of Clay Figure Zhang is usually displayed indoor such as on the shelf owing to its small dimension with 40 centimeters high , so it is also named as shelf sculpture. The painted sculpture involved in many fields to take an important role to serve society and beautify environment.

Clay Figure Zhang is made of ripe clay which is pure puddle with little sand through the process of weathering, slurrying, filtrating, evaporating and adding cotton to rub up. It has the characteristics of viscosity. The side materials include wood, vine, lead, paper, flowers and so on.

In order to make good works, we should try to avoid the direct shining to clay figure, and adopt natural air-dry. After completely drying, the clay figure is put into stove for firing. The temperature is up to 700 degree centigrade or so. After coming out of stove, the clay figure is polished and painted.

The painted sculpture of clay figure has made great progress compared with the previous one. With the development of technology, we use propylene pigment, although it is a little bit expensive, it has many advantages, such as strong covering, not blowing out, not falling off, not fading and not dissolving into water, therefore the clay figure can be flushed by water. It will takes about 30 days or so to finish a complete works.

Brilliant art works compound special package with nationality characteristics, which attacks people' attention greatly.