Soft pottery handmade pony turns internet sensation; sales gallop

Cultural and creative figurine Ma Biaobiao, a small horse with messy hair and beady eyes, has caught the internet by storm. The image, described by netizens as "clear, yet tinged with madness," has been humorously dubbed "capturing my mental state at work."

This product, jointly launched by Beijing Fine Art Academy, Shandong Art Museum and Zibo Xiaoxiami Soft Pottery, has become so popular that supply is struggling to keep up with demand.

Its inspiration comes from Qi Baishi's painting So Vast a Distance. The creativity behind Ma Biaobiao comes from the original painting, which is currently housed at the Beijing Academy of Painting.

Currently, the soft pottery figurine of Ma Biaobiao sold at the Beijing Academy of Painting's cultural and creative store is priced at 299 yuan ($43.07). It is shaped from soft pottery and fired at high temperature, with the mane made of sheep wool.

As the soft pottery versions are handmade with limited daily production, the art studio has had to recruit artisans to increase capacity.

Initially, the product was only available in a long-haired black version, but due to popular demand from netizens, trendy color series such as red and blue have been introduced. Each figurine comes with accessories like hair clips and elastic bands, encouraging DIY hairstyles, which has sparked a nationwide creative craze.

Experts point out that the popularity of Ma Biaobiao reflects a shift in the psychology of young consumers. Its vivid, "imperfect" image resonates with the widespread mindset among young people of anti-involution and antianxiety, creating an emotional connection. Industry insiders believe that in a homogenized cultural and creative market, products with unique personalities and interactivity can establish deeper connections.

Commenting on its popularity, Cui Wentao, deputy director of the Shandong Art Museum, said, "They not only capture the charm of the original painting but also tap into the emotions of young people." In Chinese culture, the horse symbolizes positivity and upward momentum, he added.

A netizen had this comment: "It resonates with how I feel — it actually aligns with my own mental state, free and unrestrained."

According to statistics from the Shandong Art Museum, since the opening of an exhibition of Qi's artworks on Dec 22, sales of the cultural and creative series centered around them have exceeded 660,000 yuan so far.

"Master Qi's works are free-spirited and vivid. We were initially unsure how to capture this essence in our clay sculptures," said Wang Zhi, head of Xiaoxiami Soft Pottery.

To recreate the carefree elegance of the horse's mane in the painting, the team experimented with various materials. In the end, sheep wool stood out for its softness, ease of maintenance, washability, and suitability for braiding.

"When the first batch of small horses with the woolen manes was unveiled, everyone in the studio found it incredibly interesting," Wang recalled.

In addition to Ma Biaobiao, the Crying Horse toy has also unexpectedly become an internet sensation, after a worker at the production studio mistakenly sewed the corners of its mouth upside down, turning a smiling face into a sad one.

Netizens dubbed it Crying Horse, and within three days, orders surged by 300 percent.

Such phenomena reflect the rising significance of emotional value consumption, which is one of the top 10 trending terms in the cultural industry for 2025 released by the Institute for Cultural Industries at Peking University.

Xiang Yong, director of the institute, said that cultural consumption forms centering around meeting psychological needs such as emotional resonance, stress relief, healing, and identity recognition are on the rise. This shift is becoming an important dimension driving consumption upgrades, Xiang said.