Ousu, known as an "oil-clay sculpture" and praised as a "stereoscopic painting", is a traditional artwork specially produced in Wenzhou of Zhejiang Province . Research shows that the art form was developed by assimilating the fabricating techniques of lacquerwork on the basis of ancient traditional clay sculpture.

 History

A piece of Ousu from the Song Dynasty excavated in Wenzhou -- the oldest Ousu piece unearthed thus far -- suggests that the art has a history of at least 900 years.

For centuries, Ousu artworks were mainly Buddha and gods in temples or home decor, such as furniture and dowery. With a single color or gild and silver paintings, the art was rather rough for some time.

After the founding of new China, Ousu artists made great improvements to the art while carrying forward traditional techniques. They ingenuously combined the pile sculpturing, painting and carving techniques to develop Ousu art into a comprehensive industrial art.

In 1959, Xie Xiangru, who had worked in Ousu for nearly 50 years, added mineral pigments to oil clay, producing a rich and colorful material endowed with varied colors and a strong "attaching" capability. Ousu art ushered in a new era with its new firmer and more durable material, which is also fade resistant.

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