Clay Figure Zhang

Clay Figure Zhang has been molding painted clay figures since the 1840s, when the founding Zhang earned imperial favor with figurines so lifelike they seemed to breathe. The studio on Ancient Culture Street is the living descendant of that line, with sculptors working at visible benches and shelves of figures - opera characters, market scenes, and the folk gods of old Tianjin.

Every piece is hand-molded and hand-painted, and prices range from a hundred yuan for small pieces to five figures for museum-grade works. It is the finest craft souvenir Tianjin has to offer, and watching the sculptors is half the pleasure.