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Vintage Chinese Shiwan mudman figurine depicting a seated laborer holding a small hammer. Made in the Shiwan district of Guangdong, China, famous for handcrafted ceramic and clay sculptures. The seated worker wears a traditional conical straw hat, an open vest, and sitting on a blue-and-brown glazed rock formation. The Mudmen has an unglazed clay face, hands, and skin, with colorful glazes applied to clothing and base.
The rough, unglazed tan earthenware clay bottom with a large hollow ventilation hole is characteristic of vintage Chinese mudmen. The hollowed base prevented the pottery from cracking or exploding in the kiln during the firing process. The base features an incised stamp reading "262 CHINA". This numeric stamp format was commonly used during the mid-to-late 20th century (often around the 1950s to 1980s) for inventory, mold identification, or export tracking records required for goods manufactured in China.
Visible along the edges is a thick, high-gloss "fat lava" style drip glaze, transitions of deep blue and brown tones, and unglazed matte sections representing flesh or natural rock, which are classic hallmark features of Shiwan Ware Mudmen. The rough, unglazed tan or buff-colored stoneware clay visible on the bottom is characteristic of genuine mudmen figures.
