THE year 1381
WA MAO
A secret of power and clay hidden on the eaves in the clouds
A digital ethnography of clay, fire, and memory.
This project is an independent digital archive dedicated to the Yunnan 'Wamao' (瓦猫). It traces the 600-year evolution of a fierce, roof-guarding beast born from Ming Dynasty military settlements, down to its current iteration as a docile, mass-produced desk toy. The goal is not merely to showcase a traditional craft, but to deconstruct how cultural totems survive, mutate, and are ultimately consumed by the modern spectacle.
Grounding the myth in reality.
This digital archive is built upon extensive qualitative fieldwork across Yunnan. To understand how a 600-year-old architectural guardian transforms into a modern consumer spectacle, we had to trace the clay from the kiln to the city.
- •In-depth interviews with independent artisans and workshop owners.
- •Extensive oral history conversations with local residents.
- •Consultations and dialogues with municipal city planning and cultural departments.
A little monster sitting on urban desks
As a unique Intangible Cultural Heritage of Yunnan, Wa Mao was originally a house-guarding beast sitting on ancient eaves, with its giant mouth wide open to swallow evil spirits. But time seems to have smoothed its fangs. Today, it steps down from the high roofs, sheds the rough breath of clay, and transforms into the most adorable, healing blind-box on the desks of urban youth.
A giant mouth trying to act cute? It's actually to swallow evil spirits~
A chubby body, dressed in a delicate blue-and-white porcelain coat ✨
Jumping from the eaves to the desk, it became a healing master meow in a blind box.