Over the years most were illiterate, but many were gifted painters with strong affection for village life and nature. Subjects included daily farming scenes, the harvest, fishing, the rising sun, celebrations and ceremonies, figures from mythology, gods and heroes.
"You can paint whatever you want. It's totally freestyle," Sun says.
He gives examples: carp fish means you'll get more than you wish for; big juicy peaches are a blessing for longevity; bunches of grapes stand for bountiful fruit and great achievements in the coming year; bamboo symbolizes peace.
Oven painting goes back more than 1,200 years, making it one of the oldest folk paintings, says Zhang Weiqiang, director of Nanhui Culture Center.
"Although it doesn't appeal to refined tastes, it's not officially recorded in history books and not appreciated by artists, zaohua is unique and lively reflects the folk farming life in rural areas," says Zhang.
In the old days the oven/stove took up a lot of space and a wall, with chimney and flue built to keep the smoke out of the room. The wall became the place where farmers could express their imaginations. Walls could be cleaned, plastered again and painted yet again. Zaohua was born and it evolved into a common practice in Nanhui villages.
In local tradition, a family with an oven that hadn't been decorated would be looked down upon because they hadn't pleased the God of the Oven who blessed the household and provided food.
Today multi-colored poster paints are used, but ancient craftsmen used soot from the bottom of cooking pots, added water and rice wine to make black pigment that didn't fade in the heat and smoke.
It was durable because the zaohua was usually painted right after the oven was built and the clay was still moist. The pigment penetrated the clay and bonded.
The main tools are a wooden ruler to fix position and brushes made of goat hair, which are made by painters themselves.
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