Masks in Chinese Theatre (Second Part)

Masks in Chinese Theatre.

(By Daniela Maimone [N - 32 de Mondo Cino extract, september 1980.])

3.- Roles and makeup.

Chinese traditional theatre characters masks wear, are painted according typology and a fixed aspect denominated liampu (official canons). Examining principal roles and characters, paintings and colors can be distinguished;  if actor is a sheng or male character, a dan or femenine character, a chou or clown, a jing or painted face character. In Peking Opera whether militar, civil or literary type belongs to sheng role. 

• Sheng and dan represent, basics considered, a stylish and typological unity. Accentuanting natural line, make up consists in paint eyebrow, eyes and mouth. Skin color intensifies; also bones, muscles and veins are important to underline.

• Sheng
  Wusheng is divided in wilaosheng (old warrior); changkao (senior  officer completely provided by an armor, four fixed flags over shoulder); duanda (town warrior, bandit, bully, who wears a black costume and usually doesnt sing).  Wensheng is for literate man or a civil role; is divided in wenlaosheng (old state or literated man); laosheng (middle aged or not elevated  level); xusheng or "red beard sheng" (official or literated man; with different beard shape and length whether red, black or grey, fixed behind ears, and sometimes long sideburns accompanied. A young literated is indicated by shanzisheng; young student by wenxiaosheng; young military hero by wuxiaosheng; divinized hero role Guan Yu represented by red sheng or hongsheng.

Wusheng

                                         

                                                 

                                                             

               
                                       

Wensheng

                                            
                                                        
                                           

Wenxiaosheng 

Shanzisheng                                                            Wuxiaosheng

• Dan
  Femenine role or dan is divided in: loadan (old woman); qinguyidan (virtous and refined woman); guimedan (not married, beautiful and young woman); huadan or flowered dan (singer or courtesan); wudan (young and warrior woman, carries a horse); gongnudan or "palace dan" (maid).

Laodan

Guimedan

Qingyidan (Mei Lanfang)

Huadan

• Chou (Chow)
  Until Yuan dynasty, chou makeup consisted from light white extract simply surrounding eyes and nose, other more elaborated colors and drawings started to be used at Ming period.

                                                 

                                                   

• Jing
  Jing role indicates a vigorous and violent man, virtous or villain character; comprises zhengjin or principal jing role, noble virtue and important character; jujing or jing assistant, generally a rogue or villain; wujing or military jing, emphasizes spectacular combats and acrobats. Also comprises other Peking Opera roles, in common with Kunqu Opera, like mo, waim, qionsheng, tiedan, etc.

                                          

              

• Zhenglian: Zhenglian is the most ancient mask form still in use in Chinese theatre: they apply over the face an unitary cap color, coordinating white and black, used before in drawn eyebrow, eyes, nose and mouth. Zhenglian used colors are just black, red and white. To this kind belongs jing makeup or "face painted character", founded also in Kunqu Opera.  

4.- Theatral makeup evolution.

Original zhenglian was gradually transformed in more complex theatrical masks, caused mutating historical and social requirements, above all novels and literary works influenced.

Numerous characters, literary operas extracted and not necessary with great heroical relevance, were scenes adapted, face features exaggerating and specialy making a new kind of makeup. For example a "red face" man, "whitest face", "metalical face" "bloodless face", etc. Were included also a big new colors quantity for define and characterize characters first time appeared over theatrical scenes. Numerous heterogeneous fusion and confluence elements have therefore given rise to indigo blue, green, yellow, leopard head and ring eyes, fenix eyes and silkworm makeup. A constant rapport established between chromatic elements typical character characteristics, stylish models converted on which new characters remarked. Here some examples: red is typically for Guan Yu mask, so, red is identified with heroism and rightness from this historical character. Zhang Fei wears a black mask, so, a paradigmatical value of crudity and some kind of disregard assumes black. With typical white in water is Cao Cao, indicates an insidious character. 

Ma Su white oil express solemnity and respect. Xi Tzingzhao violet mask denotes a heroical and loyal character; ferocity, brutality and heroism is Dian Wei yellow; violence is Lang Rubao grey blue, strenght and courage is Dou Erdum blue , a wild and fierce character is Qing Erhu green. Delineating range, age, character, mood and moral qualities of character are those colors function.  Could be combined another complementary, secondary, realistical or "wordly" colors. A character expression is also outlining face bones through light colors use. Five or six colors masks are noted sometimes, with lines and complex drawings that becomes a difficult character typological identification. For example jing mask Peking Opera uses colors and very complex drawing combinations.