Beijing opera mask

Beijing opera is a part of chinese traditional culture.

The performers need to be drawn a mask on their faces for the show.

Every role has one and only mask. The color and pattern shows roles disposition and the feature.

red  

Let’s begin with colors. The first one is red.

Red means loyal and brave. In the opera this color is always drawn on a positive role’s face.

But in some story, it means this role is a Fake good.

black 

Black gives people heaviness and solemn feeling. 

Black face means this role is resolute and steadfast,  powerful and wisdom

In some cases, it also represents ghosts and ugly people.

white

White face is always a sinister and fraudulent guy’s face.

On the other hand, the monk and the old man use this color, too.

purple

In Beijing opera purple is similar as red which is strange to me.

The role who has a purple face is a upright man.

This kind of people do not like to flatter to dignitary.

yellow

Yellow face means this role is brave and irascible, fierce and cruel. But In the opera the man who had a yellow face always has a short life. I think the reason is this kind of disposition is hated by others.

golden and silvery

it is always be drawn on a monster’s or immortal’s face. These metal colors are very striking.

just like this one, he is a bat monster.

green

crude and impetuous role has a green face. Green face is also meaning this man is a forest outlaw.

I think it is because the leaf is green.

blue

firm and rough

The second part of  of Beijing opera mask is pattern. As I just said that pattern shows role’s feature.

red gourd

In the past time, Chinese poor people like to use gourd to take water and wine. 

So we draw a red gourd on the mask to me this man like drinking

third eye

In Chinese myth, a lot of immortals has the third eye. It means magic and supernatural. 

Just like this mask, This role is god’s  nephew .

dragon’s eyebrow

In Beijing opera, only the role who play as a emperor can have s dragon’s eyebrow. because in the past time, chinese people think emperor comes from sky and he is a dragon.

yin and yang 

Yin and yang is a famose pattern in chinese culture. It represents the whole universe. So in beijing opera,  it means the  one’s methods are more than human.

weapon 

Chinese history story is a large part of beijing opera. 

There are a lot of generals and  swordsman in these story. 

so we draw the weapon they are  good at on their masks.

crescent moon

It means honest and upright. 

This pattern is only drawn on a fames government official,s face.

In the opera, he can judge dead man in the night.

money 

It means rich people and the god of wealth. and sometimes it means that people focus on getting money or stingy

many faces

it is a especial pattern in beijing opera. this role is a man  who is supernatural. 

People kill him hardly, because he has a lot of heads.

red trace 

it is always be drawn on a historical people’e mask. it means he was be hurt in a famous war and got the scar.

a chinese word

There are some people in beijing opera dont have feature. so we write a chinese word on the mask.

just like this is a strong general,s mask and there is a chinese word means tiger on his mask.