Masks in the Chinese Theatre (First Part)

By Daniela Maimone [Mondo Cino Extract - N 31 - september 1980]

Essay

Prose passages recitation assumes generally an emphatic and declamatory intonation, noting a change in tone at words and sometimes turns difficult to understand. Often, dance is resolved in spectacular acrobatic exhibitions, for example in Peking Opera, sometimes exists an emphasis in the actor mime.

Before occidental scenography type was introduced in China at XX century, over the box stage, curtain unprovided there was a simple tent where actors get in and out. Chair or painted screen presence more than reconstruct an scene, was served for suggest symbolically the idea place where was unfolded action and displacement; and staging of such objects, took place always under spectators eyes. Extreme scenographic simplicity was countered by the demonstration of colorful costumes and complex gestures symbology, colors, masks, that ask the spectator to individualize the characters  and reconstruct scenes and ancestors.

Peking Opera recitation extract.

Dance extract

1.- Chinese Theatre symbolism.

Traditional Chinese Theatre is an extremely stylized representation, where symbolical elements presence, masks use and lack of aristotelical unities*, characterizes it like a no representative theatre, in the sense that has to demonstrate a diferent reality of life, of that now and who that organice space, time and action in a similar way of medieval theatre*. Cromatic and gestual symbolism united to the characters fixed typology, constitute one of essential elements for theatrical representation, understanding and creating an oriental recitation antecedents type, wich doesn't reproduce just pure reality mimesis.

NOTE:

• Aristotelian Unity: Referred to diverse structural forms in wich is composed Occidental
  
  art, has to do with ordered positions under Greek art reflection, wrote in IV bC, by Aristotle philosopher on his piece Poetics, different points are converted in representative unities of parts that caracterizes poetical work (knowed now as dance, theatre, poetry, music, visual) like time unity, action unity, object unity, imitation unity, place unity, etc. Also could be referred to classical forms as having an introduction, a development and a conclution, and the different logical and specific points that  feed each one of those parts, and in Occident, this forms are socially unconscious, assimilated toward what is all kind of expression referent on the structure; also applies to mimesis in arts postulation based in reality.

• Medieval Theatre: At the begining were eucharistic plays or biblical stories representations, made in country festivities, mostly by comedies, and played in churches and parks. Through time moved to carts for make an itinerant theatre. In this period theatre was lost as a dramatical representation idea how was in ancient Greece and Rome. At aproximately the VI century society started to release the liturgical stories for interpret cotidianity events, also were part of this changes the minstrels and trobadours.

Gestuality has fairly accurate scenic functions and serves for reconstruct an ambient, a situation: suicide by drowning could be represented when the character approaches a flag and envolves

completely to another actor; aiming a lance up looking down with slightly inclined body, indicates if is at top mountain or making a valley inspection; trembling hands like leaves express sadness or fear; a lance or a whip left handed hanging indicates that character is coming down with a horse.

Actors move by a codified gesture language, generally Chinese audience knows it, finding familiar element infront of them that allows the easy understanding of action development.

Here we can see the character gestures in their expressions.

In traditional theatre from Peking Opera to Kunqu, Yeuju, Bangzi, painted masks directly over the face put relation between the actor and the interpreted character linked to dances made in festivities and some agricultural and renewal rites. The actor with a  paintbrush applies over the face water or oil disolved colors. In complex Chinese symbology, colors occupy an important place. Universal values like Ying and Yang are associated with yellow and red, as well as each element of cardinal points corresponds to one color. It couldn't, therefore lack a deep link between colors and makeup.

• Video in wich you can see Chinese modern actress self painting:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N-6XXM_Becw

Makeup symbolism is in some paintings particularly evident, from an almost pictographic idealism that forge news about character life and destiny. Some of those characters possessed a particular and exclusive symbol, for example in the middle front of infernal judge Pao Zen, commissioned to make some inquires is a little moon painted; over the Li Yuamba front, throne God, is painted a little lightning also remembering his divine origine over the earth; the painting of a gold coin in the front of Zhao Gnongming indicates that before the death he will be turn the wealth God; between Zhao Guanying eyebrows there is painted a little dragon with a red mole for demonstrate that also in the aspect provides the imperial dragon trace, etc. The masks complicated drawings indicate the remarked artistic level reached in actors and artists from Chinese theatre, wich, like in painting, uses  paintbrush controlling the force of brushstrokes acording to a fairy accurate technique. Origin and symbology of those painted masks over the face are lost in the night of times and need to go back to ancient beliefs and religious practices that can trail in histolical or literary works.
2.- Masks origin.
In Later Han book* (Hou Han shu) and Tang book* (Tang shu) are described the called Danuo ceremony, made by teenagers in imperial palace and its objective was take out bad spirits, for new year welcome. Danuo esential moment was Twelve animals dance. Made by Fangxiangshe, yellow metal four eyes mask and head covered by bear skin; the top part of dress was black, inferior part red, at hands had a lance and a shield, also was accompained by twelve young guys animals masked.  The young guys intoned an imprecation to disease that has upset the old year, came into the throne hall, where officers carried red caps; so, made dance, they shouted the turn of the hall and at the end they get out carrying torchs to accompany the bad spirits to the South door. Gentlemen groups passed the torch until throwed it in the Luo river*. In a popular level, the party was street celebrated, people with deafening rhythm drums were converged; wore mask and were dressed with some kind of freedom; during festivities were allowed customs relaxation. 
Notes:

• Han Posterior book: Oficial historical text covering Hang dynasty period in China, compiled by Ye Fan. 

• Tang book: Tang Dynasty first classical work.

• Chinese new year data from Han dynasty.

• Luo River: One of the most important Yellow river affluent; locate almost in the middle of the river. Made inffluence in Chinese poets like Cao Zhi 192 - 232 aC. (one of  Han dynasty most important poets) who made a poem titled Luo river Nymph, which talks about the separation between him and the Luo river Nymph, later painted by Gu Kaizhi 334-406aC.

Luo river Nymph extract by Gu Kaishi.



Fangxiangshe ritual dance ascend in  previous Han dynasty period, indeed in Springs-Autumns period (722-482 bC.) we have a Fangxiangshe testimony accompained by four pawns named kangfu. Xunzi* ironicly says that Confucio's head resembled Fangxiangshe mask. For autumnal festivity called Bazha, made after harvest and before the coming of death season, in camp a ritual dance in ancient honor connected to fertility worship. Was believe that masks who represented ancestors, which were taken by deceased descendant, were fixed for his wandering soul.
Danuo ceremony decayed in Tang period and fell totally in disuse at court, but is accepted that during Shui and Tang dynasty at popular spectacles, masks were used for pose as demonds or another fantastical beings. In some contemporany traditions, we can look yet this ancient masks footprints that present interesting connections, whether this old customs, whether theatral make up.
Before Popular Chinese Republic fundation, in Taoist and Buddhist temples and monasteries, religious and popular holydays there, were yet representations and dances with masks, having as subject life and actions of legendary characters, or also infernal judges inflicted punishments; they had as objective to warn and to instruct spectators. Masks where made with mache paper and subjects were represented often with terrible aspects demons: horse, tiger, dragon, etc. 
Masks with friendly aspect were manufactured and painted by specialized artisans for entertain kids, also being used by clowns. Nowadays, those masks, can be purchased in Chinese camps on Spring Holydays. Is not uncommon to see in Guilin or Chengdy stores those bizarre kid heads, tigers or bearded characters similar to the zhenglian theatral makeup decoration. The first documented example of masks, chant, dance combinations ascends to Qi Septentrional (550-577 aC) period. Is narrated that Lan Ling prince was a great value warrior, but his face was so beautiful that in this time conceptions considered him unfit for war; for this reason he decided to wear a terrorific mask, in this way he frightened the enemies; he could overcome and leak the Zhou Septetrional army from the state. For celebrate this heroic fact, people invented appropiated dances accompained by chant, whether popular or professional, in Chinese theatre, actors replace masks with makeup: from orginal Ming epic lines drawn around eyes and eyebrow stays in complete makeup face. Antique value remains just in one strongly symbolical signification and overemphasis of guidelines and some characters characteristics. In this kind of theatrical masks painted directly over the face is noted the cross of maglical level, where Fangxiangshe plays like exorcist for hun, the disastrous accumulated influences during a year, a historical level or also a mitic one, and depending the played character; and in part the ancient religious meaning is lost. An analogue phenomenon is founded in the ancient Greek theatre, where they applied masks over the face making a symbolical function under some similar aspects to makeup from Chinese theatre.