Maohou

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Maohou is a Chinese folk mini sculpture art. Artists make tiny figures from cicada sloughs and Magnolia buds. The craft started in old Beijing during the Qing dynasty. A popular story says a poor herbal medicine shopkeeper made small toys for his son using these natural materials. The most common Maohou figures are dancing monkeys: Magnolia buds form the body, cicada parts become the limbs, and cicada antennae make the tails. The shop even sold the materials as houliao, meaning "monkey stuff." Qiu Yisheng is a well-known Maohou artist who has gained international recognition. His work Temple Fair in Changdian was shown at the National Museum of China. His newer projects include sculptures of Olympic athletes to honor the 2008 Beijing Games. In Mandarin, "Maohou monkey" is another term for a young child.