An exhibition featuring painted sculptures of Clay Figure Zhang is underway at the National Art Museum of China in Beijing. Nearly 40 artworks created by masters Yang Zhizhong and Chen Yiqian are on display, showing a high level of the traditional craft. 

Listed as a national intangible cultural heritage, the 200-year-old art form was created by Zhang Mingshan in the late Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). His clay figures were so lifelike that people recognized his art and named it after him. 

It usually takes three months to complete a fine figurine after a series of processes, including preparing clay material, modeling clay into certain shapes, airing, firing and painting. 

Artists Yang and Chen from Tianjin have inherited the art form and witnessed its development over the past decades.

The exhibition runs until Sunday.

(With input from agencies)