Vacat species

There are many kinds and shapes of Wa cats in Yunnan, most of which are made of pottery, but also a few stones, some glazed and some unglazed. The glazed tile cat of the Yi people in Chenggong County is made of yellow mud. It has a striking diamond-shaped "gossip" picture on its chest and is painted with red paint. It stands on the tile on all fours, with a long tail coiled in front of its right leg, a dragon-thorn-shaped back, scales on its body, high ears, big protruding eyes, a red "king" painted on its head, grinning and sticking out a red tongue. Heqing White Wa Cat, made of black soil, has thick and knotted limbs, stands across a ridge tile, has an upright tail, a scaly body, a wide mouth, a tongue sticking out, a surprisingly large upper jaw, a small lower jaw, four teeth in the mouth, protruding eyes, erect ears and fierce glare. The glazed tile tiger of the Yi people in Chenggong, with its hind legs crouching, its front legs standing upright on the tile, its mouth open, its tail fat and thick, its back covered with scales, and its ears straight and round, shows a fierce and dignified look. The glazed tile cat of Wenshan Zhuang nationality is shaped like a small clay pot, with its head and body connected in an inverted triangle, upright ears, wide eyes, black glazed eyes, wide mouth, upper and lower teeth, tongue sticking out, a bronze bell tied around its neck, front legs together, rear legs apart, and standing upright on a three-layer round adobe. Black glazed tile cat of Chenggong Han nationality, with cylindrical body, upright front legs, squatting on a ridge tile, tail curled backwards, chest in a "gossip" shape, sharp ears, big and prominent eyes, inverted triangular nose stuck in the face, beards stuck on the left and right cheeks, wide mouth and protruding teeth; Some bodies are pot-shaped, sitting on a ridge tile, with sharp ears, prominent eyes and nose, upturned face, exaggerated mouth, the word "king" on their heads and "gossip" on their chests.

The folk town house tiger in Yunnan has the same cultural connotation as the Wamao, but it has changed modelling technique. The ceramic tiger head of the Yi people in Qiubei is gray-black, rectangular, three-dimensional, with prominent forehead, sunken eye socket, large nostrils, wide mouth, tongue sticking out, and exposed upper and lower teeth, which looks like a growl. Some Yi tigers in Shiping County are cylindrical, made of clay, with rough limbs, freely carved noses and eyes, wide mouths from left to right, tails coiled on their backs, scales on their bodies, and simple and honest appearance, which is very cute. Some are made of black soil, with strong limbs, slightly tilted head, looking straight at the sky, ears, nose and eyes portrayed at will, mouth slightly open, teeth exposed, and stripes engraved on the body.

In addition, the functions of the stone lions of all ethnic groups in Yunnan are roughly the same as those of the tile cat. Some are used to guard "Yang Zhai" and some are used to guard "Yin Zhai". The Shishi of the Yi nationality in Shiping is similar to the Shishi in modern architecture, but it is smaller in size, crouching on a stone base, with a short and thick tail, a left-facing head, protruding eyes, an open mouth and upright ears. Carve lion hair around the spherical head and express the image of the lion with simple lines.

Among the stone carving lion handicrafts seen in Yunnan, the stone carving lion of the Bai nationality in Jianchuan is more representative. Jianchuan Bai area in western Yunnan is known as the "hometown of sculpture". Many houses, cemeteries, stone tablets, pagodas, temples, etc. Here we should carefully carve and beautify the buildings that decorate houses and cemeteries. Shishi is the most common animal sculpture. The lion is mighty and solemn, and Bai people think it can drive away filth and evil spirits. There are Bai people buried along the route, which is very safe. When people reach the age of 60, the younger generation must prepare "coffins, shrouds and stones" (tombstones, tombstones and stone lions). When people are buried after death, stone lions must be placed according to certain procedures, ceremonies and settings. Stone lions are usually placed on both sides of the grave, with the purpose of using them to protect the geomantic omen of the cemetery. There are many kinds of stone lions, some of which are directly carved with coarse stones, and some are carved with bluestone and sand. Up to now, most of the ancient stone lions in Jianchuan were carved by Bai folk artists in Ming and Qing Dynasties. Although they have been eroded by wind and rain for a hundred years, they still preserve a complete artistic shape, with clear outline, vivid simplicity, exquisiteness and exquisiteness, and full sculpture. Shishi has its own modality, and there are many kinds. Some heads are tilted to the left, their mouths and eyes are closed, leaving only the right ear, lion hair is carved at will, the front legs are upright, and the rear legs are connected with the body, showing a peaceful appearance; Some have strong bodies, protruding eyes, flat foreheads, towering noses, looking up at the sky, their mouths closed, their front legs standing, their hind legs crouching, and their long beards hanging down on their front legs, which is dignified and solemn; Some bodies are thin and tall, with their heads looking to the right, lion hair curled on their foreheads, big eyes, big noses and closed mouths, and only the front legs are carved, and the rear legs are integrated with the body. Jianchuan stone lions are lifelike in shape and free in expression, which is the embodiment of white stone carving technology.