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Masks in ethnic minority dramas are used to shape the image of the characters and show their character characteristics.
Ethnic minority opera is a form of folk drama formed by the integration of the traditional culture of various ethnic minorities by absorbing the Wuwu culture of the Central Plains and blending with the multi-ethnic culture. There are many kinds of ethnic minority operas, which are attached to folk religious rituals in the form of performances, and have a strong local religious color. It appears not only in secular dramas, but also in ritual dramas. For example, the drama of changing people, the drama of the hall and the drama of the master in the ritual drama.
The Yi language for "Changing Humans" is "Pu Taiji", which means "the game of ghosts", and is considered to be the original prototype of Nu opera, a "living fossil". The Yi "Pu Taiji" mask Ma Hongmo (picture 1) in Nujia Village, Weining, Guizhou Province, means an old man of the Miao nationality, and is said to be 1,200 years old.
Chalk or lime are used to draw various white lines on the face, symbolizing the old age and wrinkles of the figures, and it is also said to indicate the traces of the Yi ancestors who were scratched by tree branches during the arduous trek of migration. The performance has a fixed procedure, is a kind of original ecological art form of religious folk activities, popular in the Yi folk activities in Weining, Guizhou, mainly performance of sacrifice, migration, reproduction and life and labor and other related content, its mask shape is relatively simple, rough and simple, very local characteristics.
It is popular among ethnic minorities such as Tujia, Buyi, Gelao, Miao, Dong, Yi and other ethnic minorities in Hunan, Hubei, Guizhou, Sichuan, Yunnan and other regions.
It is mainly performed in the sacrificial activities of the altar, and the performance is called Yin Opera for the ghosts and gods, and the purpose of the performance is to repay the wish, drive away the ghosts, and keep the peace; The performances for the living are called yang operas, and the performances are mainly repertoire that entertain the gods and entertain people. The characters include the mask images of the duke, the mother, the town hall, the general who opened the mountain, the king of the mountain, the fairy girl, and the judge. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the Miao judge (Fig. 2) of Sinan, Guizhou, also known as the Goushu Judge or the Gouyuan Judge.
Wearing an official hat, a solemn complexion, and bright eyes, he is a dignified judge who discerns everything and upholds justice. In the altar, he is specially designed to repay good wishes for the world, and punish the wicked and evil gods. In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the Sinan Miao Miao opera mask (picture 3), the female (right), and the mother (left). Also known as the Holy Father of Dongshan, Our Lady of Nanshan, one of the main gods of the altar, is said to be the ancestor of human reproduction.
In the middle of the Qing Dynasty, the founding general of the Tujia family in Jiangkou, Guizhou Province (Fig. 4), had a hideous and terrifying face with his head erected with two sharp horns, exposed fangs, and bulging eyes. The founder of the mountain is the most ferocious demon god in the altar, specializing in the five evil demons, and recovering the lost soul for people.
In the late Qing Dynasty, the mountain king of the Daozhen Lao tribe in Guizhou (Fig. 5), also known as the Three Kings, was a god of the altar. Wearing a high crown, the demeanor is fierce, the shape is delicate and realistic, and the jaw and eyeballs are equipped with organs to activate activities. The Tujia Disaster Mitigation Monk (Fig. 6), also known as the Disaster Relief Monk, has a bald face, a lovely smile, and a large blessing bag on his forehead. The overall image is intimate and respectable, and it is mainly used in the performance of the vow to check the wishes of the Lord and the preparation of the ritual.
Shigong opera is a kind of drama with the characteristics of Nu dance, which is popular among the Zhuang, Yao, Gelao, Maonan and other ethnic minorities in the northern, central and southern regions of Guangxi. In the form of performances, the songs and dances of the master are the mainstay, and most of the performances of the master opera are small plays that praise the gods, or legends, historical stories, folk life, etc., and the mask performance mainly includes the mask images of the fairy prince and the king. The land of the Jinxiu Yao people in Guangxi (Fig. 7) is a mask of the Eight Immortals Dance, which is the image of a kind and amiable land god. The king of the Zhuang Nationality in Xiangzhou, Guangxi Province (Fig. 8) is a Shigong opera mask, which is said to be the protector of the village and the village to ensure the safety of people and animals.
Secular operas include earth opera, Tibetan opera, yang opera, and so on. It is rumored that it was brought into Guizhou by the Tun army in the early Ming Dynasty, and began to be popular in the areas inhabited by the Han Tun army and its descendants, and then gradually introduced to the nearby Buyi, Miao, Gelao and other ethnic minority villages.
The performance of the local opera takes the ground as the stage, and the first person surrounds the circle to watch the play, so it is called the local opera. The repertoire of the performances is mostly to show some historical stories in history about the change of dynasties and the rise and fall of conquests. The workmanship of the local opera mask is more elaborate and exquisite, and the image is mostly some famous military generals in history. The local opera masks Cao Cao (picture 9) and Lü Xiang (picture 10) of the Anshun Buyi people in Guizhou represent fierce and warlike generals.
Tibetan opera is popular in Qinghai, Sichuan, Gansu and other Tibetan gathering areas, developed on the basis of religious sacrifice ceremonies, is a collection of singing, rhyme, dance, skills as one of the traditional drama art of ethnic minorities. Compared with the Dancing God Mask, the shape and color of the mask are more mundane and interesting.
The images of Tibetan opera masks include ** gods, white faces, blue faces and animal gods. **The Lhasa Tibetan Blue Mask (Fig. 11), the symbol of the Blue Mask Tibetan Opera, is in the form of a flat plate.
"Wenba" means fisherman and hunter, and the masked Wenba is responsible for presiding over the opening ceremony of Tibetan opera, explaining the plot, and singing and dancing for the protagonist of the main opera together with other non-main opera characters. The Lhasa Tibetan half-white, half-black mask (fig. 12) is half black and half white, and the cheeks and chin are decorated with red buttons, worn by blue-masked clowns and witches. The Lhasa Tibetan yak (female) (Fig. 13) is one of the representative breeds of Tibetan opera animal masks.
Yang opera is popular in ethnic minority areas such as Tujia and Miao at the junction of Hunan, Hubei and Sichuan, and is a variant and development of Wutang opera.
Most of the performances are held on the stage of the dam field. The mask shape has theatrical roles such as sheng, dan, jing, and ugly, and distinguishes the characters in the play by the tiara and facial features. Its mask image is rich, mainly based on historical and life figures, related to the public and old monks, mountain soldiers and other characters. The old courtyard of the Tujia family in Youyang, Sichuan Province (Fig. 14) and Shanjun (Fig. 15) are unique and delicate in shape, covered with heavy colors, and have distinctive local characteristics.