Mu-he Du (1949- ), a native of Wanli, South District, Tainan City, was registered by the Ministry of Culture in 2020 as a preserver of the important traditional craft "clay sculpture."[1]

Life Story

edit

His original name was Mu-he. However, since he was born weak and sick, his parents followed the advice of a fortune teller and chose the partial name "Yen-ei" to make up for the lack of one of the five elements "fire" in his horoscope. He is still called "Master Yen" to this day.

He was born in the "dough figurine" family. He learned crafts from his father, Ding-ren Du, when he was a child. After graduating from elementary school, he inherited the family business and sold dough figurines to earn money for his family. In 1966, he collaborated with Master Rui-yu Du to make altar archways. He used rice and flour as the base materials to design the "animal sacrifice ceremony" for folk religious offerings, which gradually expanded his reputation. Master Du introduced Yen-ei to Jin-yong Chen, a master of paper and lantern making, who provided more guidance.[2] At 23, he learned shearing and sticking from Master Shun-an Huang (a disciple of Shun-Fa Hung). Although his instruction lasted only three months, it solidified his fate with the Hong Hua sect.[3]

Master Yen is familiar with the process of clay sculpture art. The Tainan Municipal Administration of Culture Heritage once commissioned him to create a collection of Xuantian God statues and recorded more than 40 works in various temples.[4][5][6]

Honors

edit

In 2015, he was recognized as a preserver of the traditional craft "clay sculpture" by the Tainan City Government.

In 2020, he was registered by the Ministry of Culture as a preserver of the important traditional craft, "clay sculpture."[7][8][9]

References

edit
  1. ^ "Rti 中央廣播電臺 - 8新科人間國寶出爐!陳三火、杜牧河、黃福壽等獲殊榮". Rti 中央廣播電臺 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2023-04-25. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  2. ^ 臺南市文化資產管理處 (2023-04-25). "臺南市文化資產管理處-杜牧河/泥塑". 臺南市文化資產管理處. Archived from the original on 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  3. ^ 高雄市傳統藝術普查委託研究計畫 研究單位:國立高雄大學民族藝術系 研究主持人:侯淑姿 https://khcc.kcg.gov.tw/PhotoData/960607.pdf
  4. ^ 臺南市文化資產管理處 (2023-06-09). "臺南市文化資產管理處-杜牧河/泥塑". 臺南市文化資產管理處. Archived from the original on 2023-05-01. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  5. ^ 人間福報. "杜牧河 傳承捏麵人 桃李滿天下 | 醫藥". 人間福報 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2023-04-29. Retrieved 2023-04-25.
  6. ^ 嘉義市政府文化局 張瑞益粧佛調查研究及保存維護計畫 (pg94-96)
  7. ^ 自由時報電子報. "【藝術文化】8位新科人間國寶出爐 陳三火、杜牧河及黃福壽等獲登錄保存者 - 自由藝文網". 自由時報電子報. Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  8. ^ 自由時報電子報 (2021-09-25). "文化部「人間國寶 台南4傳統工藝師入列 - 生活". 自由時報電子報 (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-09.
  9. ^ 三立新聞網 (2019-10-08). "寶島神很大/國寶泥塑大師杜牧河 讓神像不只有木雕 | 寶神 | 三立新聞網 SETN.COM". www.setn.com (in Chinese). Archived from the original on 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-09.