Folk Shadow Play (China) 7119046705, 9787119046709

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FOLK CRAFT HERITAGE OF CHINA

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FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS

ISBN 978 - 7 - 119 - 04670-9

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787119 046701,

FOLK SHADOW PLAY Comyi(ei 6y Wei Liqun

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FOREIGN LANGUAGES PRESS

Synopsis China is the hometown of the shadow play . The Chinese leather shadow /)lay is an an ient and wides/)read form of folk opera art . Over the past thousand years, folk artists have been casting leather /Ju/J/J •ts' shadow on a small white curtain while singing and dancing behind it , depicting the ups and downs of the life of the hinese people. This book has selected over 300 exquisite leather shadow,play puppets from a large number of collections, classifying them according to region and genre. Along with explaining the related terminology of the shadow play, the book also gives readers a complete appreciation of this ancient yet still impressive art form.

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FOLK EMBROIDERY FOLK PAPERCUTS FOLK NEW YEAR PICTURES FOLK SHADOW PLAY FOLK TEXTILE ARTS FOLK STONE LIONS FOLK TOYS

[l FOLK SILVER ACCESSORIES

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FOLK STONE CARVING

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FOLK BRICK CARVING

[l FOLK WOOD CARVING

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FOLK CLOTH ARTICLES

First Edition 2008

ISBN 978-7-119-04670-9 ©Foreign Languages Press, Beijing, China, 2008

Published by Foreign Languages Press 24 Baiwanzhuang Road, Beijing 100037, China http://www. flp. corn. en

Distributed by C hina International Book Trading Corporation 35 Chegongzhuang Xilu, Beijing 100044, China P.O. Box 399, Beijing, China

Printed in the People's Republic of China

Introduction/ 1 shadow Pia~ Performance I 19

Puppet Designs in the Central a nd Southern Shadow Pia~ I 127

Puppet Designs in the Western Shadow Pia~ I 33

Whole Puppets I 128 Puppet Heads I 132

Sets / 34 Whole Puppets I 44 Puppet Heads of Dan Characters I 46 Puppet Heads of Sheng Characters I 48 Puppet Heads of Jing Characters I SI Puppet Heads of Chou Characters I 56

other shadow Pia~ Designs / 135

Deities and Spirits I 58

Auspicious Animals I 136 Furniture Designs I 140

Puppet Designs in the Northern shadow Pia~ I 65 Whole Puppets I 66 Puppet Heads of Dan Characters I 84 Puppet Heads of Sheng Characters I 94 Puppet Heads of Jing Characters I 106 Puppet Heads of Chou Characters I 114 Puppet Heads of Evil Characters I 116 Deities and Spirits I 120

Shadow Pla~s in the 1960s and 1970s I 151

INTR..OD UCTION

Origin ot the shadow Pla_y The shadow play is a traditional folk dramatic art that is widespread in China. Its origin is said to date back to the Han Dynasty (206 BC - 220 AD). but it was not until the Song Dynasty (960-1279) that the art form had its earliest appearance in the records of historians.

Legend has it that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty (r. 140-88 BC) missed his deceased concubine, Lady Li, very much. A man claimed he could summon her ghost. At night. he moved a puppet in front of some lit candles to cast its shadows

Family guardi an: Republi c of Chin a, Huax ian Coun ty, Shaa nxi

M arti al ro le: Republi c of China, Fengrun County, Hebei

on a cloth curtain . From a distance, the emperor did indeed seem to see the shadow of Lady Li . This is said to be the earliest appearance of the shadow play.

Elderly : Repu blic of China, Q inglong County, Hebei

2

The Chinese shadow play has its origins in the magic, shadow games and puppet shows during the Han and Tang (618-907) dynasties, as well as the storytelling of the Song Dynasty. In his SeQue/ to the Notes for Understanding the W~. Zhang

Ri ch young man: Republi c of China, Lu long County, Hebei

Lei (1052 - 1112). a native of Huaiyin of the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), recorded: 'There is a man from a rich fami!Y in the Capital. . . who loves watching shadow plays. Every time Guan Yu la famous general of the Three Kingdoms period] is killed in the play. he weeps for him , and asks the puppeteer to hold the scene for a while." This is the earliest record concerning a shadow play.

Daoist, whose soft cap designs show hi s magic power: Republi c of Chin a (191 2-1 949), Huax ian County, Shaanxi

Some historical books also mention the types of Song shadow plays and the General: Republi c of China, Huaxi an County, Shaanxi

designs of their puppets, as well as the structure of the industry. They tell that the earliest peak of the shadow play was from the 10th to the 13th century.

Genres ot Chinese shadow Pla_y and Their Spread After the shadow play took shape in the Central Plains area along the valley of the Yellow River, Bianjing (today's Kaifeng, Henan), capital of the Northern Song

Dynasry.

became the earliest center of the shadow play from where all genres of D ragon King: Republic of Chin a, Fengrun Coun ty, Hebei

shadow play spread all over China.

In the later years of the

dynasry.

Tortoise spirit: Republi c of China, Fengrun County, Hebei

lin troops conQuered this ciry. They captured a

number of shadow-play artisans, and later took th em north . Som e artisans fled westward out through the Tongguan Pass. to escape wars . Most others followed the Song court, moving to the south of China. As shadow-play artisans put down roots and developed the art in various areas. three shadow-play genres gradual!)' formed in the northern . western, and central and southern regions .

5

The northern shadow play large!)' spread through east Hebei, northeast China, east Inner Mongolia, east Beijing and suburban Tianjin. The western shadow play

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Carp spirit: Repu blic of China, Fengrun County, Hebei

Shrimp spirit: Republi c o f Chin a, Fengrun County, Hebei

became popular in areas like Shaanxi, Gansu , Qjnghai, Sichuan , south Shanxi, east Henan. west Hubei, central Hebei and west Beijing. Whereas from Zhejiang. the central and southern shadow play also developed into south Hebei, Henan, Throughout its long period of development, the Chinese shadow play has form ed

Shandong, Hubei, Hunan, Fujian and Taiwan.

a complete

system

with obvious national features and high aesthetic value. When

Many countries have shadow plays: yet its birthplace remains in China. It is wide!)'

the shadow play spread to a region, it would absorb the elements of loca l dialect,

recognized that Chinese shadow play was the earliest and most representative,

opera and folk customs, and thereby develop a loca l sryle. The differences in the

genres around the world . The shadow plays of India, Thailand,

shadow plays of various regions are main!)' manifested in the melodie . Sin ce the

Burma, Indonesia and lapan were all developed later than that of China. The Czech

puppet designs were not limited by dialect or loca l opera. they evolved very little

Republic, Slovakia, and other European countries all acknowledge their shadow

in the process of wide spreading. In the ear!)' stage of the shadow pl ay. puppets

plays come from the East. In the 13th century. the Chinese shadow play spread to

of different regions looked relative!)' uniform . It was not until the Qjng

Persia and Turkey with China's expeditionary troops . In 1767, a French missionary

(1644- 1911) that puppet designs took on regional features. Studi es on the evolution

took all rypes of Chinese shadow plays and the techniQues of making puppets

process of the designs will help us understand th e continuation of the plastic

years,

arts, as well as the interaction of shadow play art with local paintings, operas

among the

many

to France, giving public performances in Paris and Marseilles. In. recent

Chinese shadow-play troupes of different genres have visited Germany. France, the US, Holland and lapan.

and customs.

Dynasry

worship Li Longji , Emperor Xuanzong (r.712 -756) of the Tang Dynasry (618-907); troupes in south Shanxi and Gansu worship Li Cunxu, Emperor Zhuangzong (r.923 -26) of the Later Tang Dynasry (923-936 ); while those in Hebei and northeast China honor Bodhisattva Guanyin .

The troupes also have many rules and taboos. For example, with troupes of Hebei 's Luanzhou (Luanxian Counry today), the drama scripts on their desks could not be touched

by hand, as they believe this would tarnish these divine scriptures.

Instead, they use bamboo flakes to leaf them. The troupes of Huaxian Counry. Shaanxi, never allow the jumbling of puppet heads and bodies of male and female characters, or putting puppets face to face because they believe this would cause Quarrels and sp lits in the troupes . They also prohibit any sitting on the scripts,

Mussel spirit: Republic of China, Fengrun County, Hebei

believing this would ruin their performances. Among the troupes in south Shanxi there are three taboos that could bring misfortune to the troupes : women are not allowed onstage; none others are allowed to touch the sc ripts except the

Frog sp iri t: Republi c of China, Fengrun County, Hebei

Crab spirit: Republic of Chin a, Fengrun County, Hebei

performers; and no one is allowed to sit on the trunks containing stage props.

In east Hebei , Shanxi and Shaanxi , where shadow plays are popular, there's a

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custom - the shadow-play troupes are exempt from paying any ferry fees , but would perform shadow plays on the ferry in exchange. This is based on a tale.

shadow Pla_y and Folk Customs There are ma~ customs in the shadow-play performances of various regions . In Hunan, Shanxi , Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai, Fujian, Jiangsu and Zhejiang, a rype of shadow play for divine veneration is

very popular. Called votive shadow play,'· 0

it involves a ceremony of sacrifice and vows. Shadow plays are also performed on birthday parties, weddings or funerals . Such performances, intended for the amusement of both deities and people, are widespread all over China.

Just as peasants worship Shennong (legendary god of farming) and plasterers and carpenters worship Lu Ban (legendary master of woodcraft), shadow-play troupes have their own ancestors who they venerate. But as customs vary in different regions, the ancestor worship also differs. Troupes in Shaanxi and central Shanxi

Longevity des ign in a votive shadow play : Luanzhou, H ebei

A des ign wishing promotion and salary increase : Luan zhou , Hebei

H appiness design in a votive shadow p lay: Lu anzhou, Hebei

7

A long. long time ago. a shadow-play troupe was crossing a river by ferry. When the boat was sailing mid - river, it sudden\)' sprung a leak. In the midst of the calamiry, an artisan Quick!), used a castanet to block the hole. When the boat got to the bank, the troupe placed a plank by the ferry for its gangway. After that, all shadow-play artisans and ferrymen became good friends. Even to this day. the stage at a shadow play always lacks one plank. and a troupe on\)' has three castanets . When ferrymen make new boats. they always lay a castanet- like wooden plug at th e bottom of the boat. And still. shadow-play artisans never have to pay the fare on ferries.

There are two specia l puppets in the shadow-play performances of Luanzhou . The

M emori al tabl et w orshipped in a votive shadow play : Qin glong County, Hebei

two "brothers" both have a big fan - like open hand and a small claw- like palm. They do not have specific roles in any play. but may appear onstage at any time. Legend says these two poor boys were abandoned in a temple and brought up by a monk.

8

Later. when the monk became serious\)' ill. they went out to beg alms for him . They

To venerate them. two puppets were made. During the intermission . they wi ll

passed through villages and towns. gesturing and singing of the monk's merits and

appear on stage and act like clowns. making the audience laugh with their jokes.

kindness . using a paper figure to represent him . Some senior artists recall this as

Sometimes they play as extras.

the origin of the shadow play in Luanzhou. When the performance is over, all puppet heads are removed from their bodies and packed in rows by their categories. But these two puppet heads are never removed from their bodies. which implies they will never di e. They are always placed on the top layer in the trunk of props. Instead of using donkey hide. these two are made of dog hide. since tradition claims that dog hide can repel evil spirits.

Ceremon ial worship in a votive shadow play: Qinglong County, Hebei

9

Puppet Designs The designs are diverse. Among the props are always 100 to 200 puppet bodies. and severa l hundred puppet heads. as well as countless colored scenic backdrops.

The designs have different features

M emori al tabl et for deities in the props trunk of a shadow-play troupe in rural Hubei

according to region. but they all have a common tradition that endows heroes with attractive appearances . and villains ugly

Lang Zili , the four th generation lea der of th e Lang's Troupe in H ainin g, Zheji ang

O ld containers of puppet heads: Republic of Chin a, Yu shu, Jilin

look. Influenced by local temple sculptures. murals and stage costumes. various srylized facial makeup and decorative designs were formed .

For example. the straight nose bridge. round eyebrows and narrow

eyes of Guanyin

in east Hebei are adopted in the facial makeup of positive xiaodan (young female).

xiaosheng (young male) and laosheng (aged male) characters in shadow plays. In east Shaanxi. the puppets are always exQuisite. Attaching great importance to decorative and carving skills. puppets of sheng (male) and

JO

dan (female) characters

in this area have protruding foreheads. delicate noses and small mouth s. In contrast, the puppet designs in west Shaanxi are rough and force ful. with simpl e

Hualian (painted - face) character alway have round noses and hollowed eyes, while sheng and dan character · nose are traight and high .

decorations.

Different from other puppets. Hubei's large puppet are incisive. with eyebrows and

eyes painted, and with the hollows in some puppets' faces even decorated with

color si lk. Hubei also has delicate small puppets that are deep!), influenced by the Shaanxi sryle.

Ju Shang, a puppet ca rver from Li chang County, Hebei

11

Carving and Colar Drawing The material of puppets of the northern shadow play is main!Y donkey hide. while

The puppets in east and north Sichuan are delicate, similar to those in east

that of the western and the central and

Shaanxi; while in west Sichuan the puppets are always large and bulky. focu sing on

southern shadow pl ays is often cowhide. and

the portrayal of the personalities of characters .

sheepskin, horse- hide. camel - hide or even thick paper are also used in some places.

In general. the puppet head offers a side view. with on!Y five-tenths of it shown . while seven-tenths of its body is shown . This feature is ca ll ed .. five-tenths faces and

Carving techniQue always reQuires grea t

seven -tenths costumes ... To represent all features of the character in the design.

att ention . as only with refined ca rvin g

this uniQue method is created to wonderful!Y combine different visua l angles .

techniQues can good des igns be made. The If on!Y a puppet fits the plot's needs. it doesn't matter much whether it has polish . However. as rich families began supporting private shadow-pl ay troupes . they hired

steps. including hide process ing. carving. Shap ing and airi ng hi de: by Lu Fuzeng of Fengru n county , Heb i

coloring, oiling and assemb[y. are close!Y related . Among them. hide processing and

professional carvers to make puppets. thereby producing a large number of high!Y

carving are the key steps. Puppets treated with superb hide-processing techniQues

ski ll ed carvers and elegant art works .

are still as smooth as new after a hundred years.

12 There are two methods for carving puppet heads : cameo and intaglio . Cameo carving is often used for the heads of

sheng and dan character . Smooth and

forceful lines outline the faces. The background is cut away. leaving the features projected in relief. which look partl cul ar!Y sharp when their hadow are cast on the white curtain . Intaglio carving is u ed for the head

f bold and generous

jing

characters. Their features and headgear are cul into the head and painted with different colors.

The knives used for carving puppets are high!Y pecialized . There are always a Zhang Huazhou and hi s father Zhan g Qi , puppet carvers of Huaxian County, Sh aa nxi

W ang Qi ansong, a puppet carver of Xi eqiao Town , H aining, Zhejiang

dozen or even severa( dozen knives. In terms of carving ski lls. there are "running knife" skills that use knives like pens to carve lines into the hide. and "driving hide .. skills that hold the hide in the hand to touch the knife edge to form designs according to outlines.

Shaving hid e: by Lu Fu zeng

Shaved hide: by Lu Fuzeng

As a representative of Shaanxi's puppet carving, Li Z hanwen·s works are so delicate that even the puppets' hair and beard are very clear. The most popular carver in east Hebei was Yang Desheng (1873-1942), whose works had concise designs and fresh compositions. His carving skill was exQuisite: the puppets representing sheng and

dan characters were handsome and pretry; the jing puppets had vivid features,

Carving puppets: by Lu Fu zeng

Sem i-finished puppets, cut in pairs

always with nestling silkworm -like brows. Grecian noses and beards flowing in five locks. His movements were fluent and agile, and his techniQue of using knives. both large and small knife-edges. were deep[y admired by other puppet carvers.

A puppet can always be divided into parts. such as the head, upper body. lower

body, arms, legs, hands and feet. The number of j~ints varies . For instance. the puppets of fighting characters have more joints for easier movements. Many puppets of scholar characters in the Zhejiang area have on[y one arm; while the puppets of dan characters in Taiwan cannot separate their two feet.

Colors are used to enrich the puppet designs. The five traditional colors - red, yellow. blue, white and black - are well balanced in the designs. Yet in the northern shadow play. green is used instead of blue. This is because, under the light of oil lamps - the on[y illumination at night in ancient times - blue appears black. Moreover, the contrast between green and red is stronger than between blue and red. which makes the designs more vivid. The hollowed part looks white behind the curtain, and the original color of the hide is yellow. so in fact the on[y colors used are red, green and black. Thg are painted alternate[y along the carving lines.

Painting co lors

Puppet designs by Yang Desheng

15

Preservation of the shadow pla~ The shadow play is a distillation of China's opera . It represents the profound tradition of Chinese civilization, and also exercises a holistic i'nfluence on the development of other Chinese art forms.

Few other art forms can compare the shadow play as a folk art that has existed and prospered for a thousand years all over China. Different from the shadow plays of other countries, the Chinese genre not on!_y has a long history. a variery of forms , a wide populariry and a rich tradition, but also a special capaciry to integrate art design, literary scripts, music, tunes and performance techniQues.

Carryin g a brid al sedan-c hair: Q ing Dyn asty , Luanzhou, Hebei

17

16

Elephant-drawn carri age for emperor's inspection tour: Qin g Dynasty, Qian 'an, Hebei

Traditional square table for eight peopl e: Qin g Dyn asty , Leting County, Hebei

Long table fo r p lacin g decorations and boo ks: Q in g Dynasty, Fengrun County, Hebei

As sociery develops. people's lifesryles change and new art forms become more popular. all these have led 18

to the decline of traditional shadow plays . The older generation of shadow-play artisans is fading. but the middle-aged and especial[y young artisans have not increased according[y. The shrinking of the audience. especially younger audience , also endangers this traditional art form.

The puppets pictured in this book are mostly collections of the author. Acknowledgement is also given to Mr. Wang Dingzhi and Mr. Li Hongjun of the Shaanxi Art Museum. folk-art researcher Mr. Zou Zhengzhong of Taiwan. and folk artist Mr. Tai Liping, for their generous support and help.

SHADOW PLAY PER.. FOR.MAN CE

Pertormers Besides the differences in puppet des-igns, the performance of shadow plays also varies according to region . For instance, the shadow play in east Hebei and northeast China often call for

seven or eight players: two are operators. while the

others sing tunes and play percussion and string instruments. The shadow play in Shaanxi and Gansu needs four to six players: one is the main singer, who speaks

plays_yueQin (plucked instrument with a full -moon shaped sound-box) and beats tanggu (drum) at the sa me time: another operates and sings for all characters and

all the puppets on and off the stage: while the rest are accompanists. Shandong·s shadow play needs the fewest players, with one operating all characters and singing tunes for them, and the other playing the slit-drum, drum and rymba ls.

21

Seni or shadow -pl ay arti st Zhang Zhaobin from Baokang County, Hebei, co uld not find an apprentice to pass down hi s ski ll s to.

20

Singing

Seni or shadow-pl ay arti st Su W enxiu , th e most revered of pl ayers in south Hebei

.

All shadow plays around China do songs in local dialect and coll0Qu1al speech . While the puppets may look the same in a region, the tunes and dialects may

vary

a great deal. In many areas. shadow plays still use the traditional narrative siyle, enjoying a reputation of "narrating the vicissitudes of a thousand years on the stage" and "story-telling behind a curtain." Th e props trunks of a shadowplay troupe in Wangcheng County, Hunan - always carried to the stage on a shou lder pole

Lang Z ili , the fourth generation leader of the Lang's Troupe i[l Hainin g, Zheji ang

21..

Shadow-play arti st W ang Yunfei from Q ishan County, Shaanxi, performing in Nanjing

M aster artist Ding Zhenyao from Tangshan, H ebei, sti ll sings as beautifu lly as ever

Senior shadow-play arti st LO Zuo liang, from Tongxiang, Zhej iang, playing for tourists in the river town Wuzhen

Shadow-play performance

Stage The shadow play's stage is always temporary. bui lt with wooden poles and boards on higher ground. It is Quite simp le to bui ld such a stage: erect several wooden poles (or use tree trunks) on a nat terrain first, then put boards on these poles to make a platform, set a white-cloth curtain in front of the platform , and final!), use cloth curtains to enclose the backstage area. The shadow-play troupes in Fufeng. Shaanxi have even handier stages: either on a large cart, or on a nat piece of earth enclosed by matting.

Sen ior shadow-p lay artist Lin Zhih ai from Luos han County, Henan, preparing for hi s performance

Behind the curtain of a troupe from Yuti an Coun ty, Tangshan

25

Senior arti sa ns from Cheng'an County, Hand an, arra ngin g the se ld om-used puppets

Arti sa ns fro m Cheng'an County, buildin g a stage for a show for in tern ational guests

Ancient shadow-play stage in Yuanj ia Vill age, W eixian County, Hebei

shadow Pia~ in South Hebei Handan is the representative of the shadow play in south Hebei, which obvious!)r inherited the characteristics of ancient shadow play. Made of cowhide. the puppets

26

Ancient Stages

27

many places.

Ancient shadow-play stages have been preserved both in Weixian Counry. Hebei

color painting is used instead of carving. This combination of carving and painting

and Xiaoyi Counry. Shanxi. The Yuanjia Village in Weixian has a specialized stage

is one of the features of this genre.

for shadow play back in those times. Facing north. the stage is 3.3 meters wide and

appear in an unsophisticated sryle; the carvings are not refined. In

2 meters high . On the inner wall. there are notes recording the tim e of the shows, Most shadow-play artists in south Hebei are over age 60,

lists of plays and players from local troupes that had pl ayed here from th e 17th to

indicating the genre's decline.

the mid-20th century.

In the court of the Xiaoyi Shadow Play and Puppet Show Museum, there are four stages for shadow plays and puppet shows, which were moved there for exhibition from nearby villages.

In the "Manchu Shadow Play Hall," in the Chengde Summer Resort. as well as at the shadow-play house in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. there are shadow- play troupes performing during the tourist season . In the five teahouses in Yunmeng Counry of Hubei, shadow plays are performed from 11:30 to 14:30 every

Seni or artisa n Shen Guorui from Cheng'an County, operatin g puppets in Journey to the West

day all year round .

Shadow Pla.:i Performance The shadow play is a rype of puppet show. Through the coordination of si ngers and operators. the dubbed speaking and singing of the ac tors can impress and move the audience. The actors try to imbue their understanding of the characters· feel ings and emotions into the performance. In this

way

do the puppets come alive. What's on at Mengze Shadow Play Hall tod ay?

29

28

Mengze Shadow Pl ay Hall in Yunmeng County, Hubei, has a fu ll house every day.

Feng Chengxian, a shadow-play percussion mu sician from Q inhu angdao

King of the

Rod

Qj Yongheng (1933 - ) is a gifted shadow-play operator. His greatest claim to fame is his excellent skills in manipulating puppets. He hails from a fami!)' of shadow players, and with his father, began manipulating the puppets at eight. He has worked for the Tangshan Shadow Play Troupe since the 1950s. He is called "Qj, the living shadow play puppet" and "King of the Rod" among the locals. International audiences have appraised hi s manipulation as "a magic and lightning art."

A curi ous peep under th e curtain

Tun g-Hua, a shadow puppet show troupe of Taiwan

M aster Q i Yon gheng, reigning " Kin g of the Rod"

Qi Yongh eng performs with Q i Yongqin g and Da Jianguang

)0 Legend of the White Snake a shadow pl ay in Tangshan

Romance on Two Mountains a shadow play in Tangshan

The Ski/lfully M ade-up Witch a shadow pl ay in Tangshan

PUPPET DE51CN5 IN THE WE5TE~N SHADOW PLAY

Troupe leaders Q in Li gang (top) and Teng Deqing, of the "Mengze Shadow Pl ay Hall ," well coordin ated

Sets Shad o w Pla_y Sets in Shaanxi The peak of Shaan xi's shadow play wa s between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. As officials and the wealthy loved shadow plays. many professional puppet workshops were established . The refined puppets. made in those workshops with great care, are unparalleled in their artistry.

The scenery in Shaanxl 's shadow plays include pavilions. towers. storied buildings. grottoes and caves, paradise and hell. With great imagination. the artisans have produced various wonderful images of figures and animals. which have not on!)' enriched the content of shows and performance effects . but also displayed the romantic traditions of China's folk arts. Blackwater River - a shadow-pl ay scene from Dali County: Shaanxi Art Museum

Fan Lihua Takes Command - the story of a woma n genera l of the Ta ng Dyn asty : Da li County, Shaanx i Art Mu se um

The Buddha Explains the Scriptures: Dali County, Shaanxi Art Museum

Journey to the West - four monks going wes t to find the Budd hi st scriptures and truth s: D ali County, Shaa nxi Arl Mu seum

42

The West Chamber - the romantic tale of a couple who were ultimately marri ed, after overco ming many obstac les: Dali County, Shaa nxi Art Museum

Whole Puppets Facial Makeup in shaanxi Shadow Pia~ Acrobatic Designs

An outstandin~ fea ture of the facial makeup in Shaanxi's shadow play is the

The Shaanxi shadow play carvers often have the warhorses

protruding foreheads of all characters, wheth er they are

connected with their riders . with active joints, being

(fema le).

sheng (mal e) . dan

jing (painted face) or chou (clown), which makes th e puppets look

known as "horse armor. " There are also "~lin armor,"

impress ive and grand. The puppets in eastern Shaanxi are

"elephant armor," "tiger armor," "camel armor" and

sma ll, standing on!Y 29 to 33 cm high. Xiaosheng (young male) and

"donkey armor." This carving method makes it easier

xiaodan (young female) characters always

to perform fight scenes of horse-riding warriors. and

have straight noses and sma ll mouths. The audience

one operator alone even can manipulate the fighting.

can easi!Y tell the characters through their eyebrows: leve l eyeb rows indicate scho lar!Y characters. who Horse-ridin g marshal: Q ing Dynasty, collected by Tai Liping of Fengxiang County, Shaa nxi

are Quiet and come!Y: while erect eyebrows indicate fighting and generals. who are doughry and bold.

45 General on a horse: Q ing Dynasty, co llected by Tai Liping of Fengxiang Coun ty, Shaanxi

44

Honor guard at court: carved by Zhang Huazhou of Huaxian County, Shaanx i

Honor guard of court maidens: ca rved by Zha ng Huazhou of Huaxian County, Shaanxi

Puppet Heads of Dan characters

Dan Dan roles cover all female characters in Chinese

S he ng, Dan , Jing, Cho u C ha ra cte rs in C hinese O pe ras

opera. and can be divided into seven categories

Chinese operas have four basic rypes of characters : sheng. dan. jing and chou.

- zhengdan, huadan, tiedan, guimendan, wudan, /aodan and caidan.

Sheng are male characters. except for male jing and chou; dan refer to all female characters; jing. also called "painted faces," are bold or generous characters with facial makeup and resonant voices; chou. called "little painted faces. " behave like clowns . The audience can easi!), judge the gender. age. social status. features and personalities of each character according to their respective character rype.

Zhengdan : middle-aged or young modest and forthright female characters

Huadan : middle-aged or young live!), or dissolute female characters. contrasted with zhengdan

Lady White Snake: Republi c o f Chin a, Huax ian County, Shaanxi

Tiedan : minor female roles . not indicating a distinctive personaliry Guimendan :young girls

+7

Wudan : female characters skilled at martial arts

+6

Laodan: senior women Caidan : female clowns Aged w omen: Republi c or China, Huaxian County, Shaanxi

Aged women: Qing Dyn asty, Beijing

Emperor's concubine, with showy hair ornaments: Republi c of China, Huax ian County, Sha anxi

Puppet Heads of Sheng characters

Headgear The headgear used in traditional Chinese operas

in Chinese operas are sheng characters. in

may be divided into four categories - guan. kui. jin and mao - with various!_y affixed decorations.

categories such as /aosheng. xiaosheng.

the rypes total ing over 300. Like stage costumes.

jinsheng. guansheng. Qjongsheng. zhiweisheng. wuxiaosheng and wusheng .

the headgear differs according to the plays and

Except for jing and chou characters. all males

operas. Guan is the formal cap of an emperor or noble characters. Kui is the helmet of warriors and

Laosheng : middle -aged or older upright characters, also called xusheng as they always

generals. fin is a rype of informal soft cap . Mao

wear beards (xu)

(black si lk cap) by common folk such as fami!_y

is the most complicated one. including suluomao Zhuangyuan (Number O ne 5 ho lar in the imperial exa mination): Q ing Dynasty, Huaxian Cou nty, Shaa nxi

Xiaosheng: young men

serva nts. and hualuomao (color silk cap) with embroidered balls. worn by swordsmen.

/insheng: handsome young scholars wearing jin (scholar's cap) or carrying fans (shanzi. hence the name shanzisheng)

4B

Guansheng are divided into daguansheng and xiaoguansheng. The former are often a bearded emperor or unru!)i scholars. and the latter are young nobilities.

Qjongsheng: impoverished scholars

Zhiweisheng. or lingz isheng : the name derives from the two zhiwei (or lingzi, pheasant feathers) on the helmet

Wuxiaosheng: young generals Wusheng: male characters skilled at Warrior: Republic of China, Huax ian County, Shaanxi

martial arts

Tang Pri est in Ming-dynasty novel Journey to the West: Republi c of China, Huax ian County, Shaanxi

Poor yo ung man: Republi c of Chin a, Huax ian County, Shaa nxi

Puppet Heads of Jing characters Jing Jing characters are also called hualian (painted faces) . This rype of roles always has a resonant voice, representing their bold and generous personalities. Jing are almost always positive characters. though occasional!), also villains .

51

Young scholar: Q ing Dyn asty, Huax ian County, Shaa nxi

50

General with a painted fa e: Republic of China, Huax ian County, Shaanxi

Senior offi cial: Huaxi an County, Shaanxi

General with a painted face: Q ing Dynasty, Huaxian County

Puppet Heads of Jing Characters in Shaanxi Shadow Pia~ The facial makeup of jing characters in Shaanxi's shadow play is Quite elaborate. For example, the image of Zhang Fei, a bold general of the Shu Kingdom during the Three Kingdoms period (220 -280). has a leopard - like head and big round

eyes;

the image of Guan Yu , another general of the Shu Kingdom , portrays hi s

uprightness through his si lkworm - like brows and sloping eyes; while the images of resourceful military officers like Zho u Yu of the Wu Kingdom are shaped Emperor: Republic of China, Huaxian County

handsome!Y.

Villains and bad characters are common!Y molded in a derogatory way. Take the facial makeup of Cao Cao, a statesman of the Wei Kingdom, as an example: there is always a rising point in the inner corner of his

,,

eye. and

a red snake-like line on

the lower orb, showing hi s ruthlessness. Another example is the chief eunuch who

52

also has a red snake-li ke line on the lower orb and a snake-like black eyebrow.

Through their long periods of practice. puppet carvers have summarized some "general rules" for memori z ing. For male characters, level

eyes

and brows

represent their loyal~. and round open eyes indicate their boldness and fierceness; rising mouth corners indicate smiling. whereas knitted brows signal an anxious

Military man w ith long whi skers: Republic of China, Huaxian County

expression. Female characters reQuire cur!Y brows. line-like eyes . cherry-like small mouths; round foreheads , tapering chins and earrings. The features of the often reveal the character's temperament: with level

eyes

eyes

and brows. the character

is loyal ; with round eyes, fierce; with line-like eyes. tame; while eyes like a leopard's show a bad temper.

Crafty emperor: Q ing Dynasty, Huaxian County

'\'

Tribe chief: Republic of China, Huaxian County

Famil y guard: Republi c of China, Huaxian County

\

General : Republic of China, Huaxian County

Guan Yu , face painted red to imply his loya lty: Republi c of China, Huayin, Shaanxi

54

Evil general with a thi k b ard: R publi of China, Huaxian ounty

Marshal : Qing Dynasty, Huaxian County, Shaanxi

Official wearing a gauze cap: Qing Dynasty, Huax ian County

General: Republi c of China, Huaxian County

55

Puppet Heads of Chou characters Cho u Chou characters in Chinese operas are actual!), clowns. also called xiaohualian (little painted faces). whose nose bridge and eyeholes are painted with white powder.

They can be wise and humorous positive roles or villains ; there are two categories:

wenchou (civilian clown) and wuchou (warrior clown) . with the former including paodaichou . fangjinchou and laochou .

Paodaichou: so named because of the ceremonial robe (pao) and jade belt (dai) worn

by the characters . often humorous emperors. princes. officials and generals

57

Officia l wea ring a gauze cap: Q in g Dynasty, Huaxian County, Shaa nxi

Fangjinchou : so named because the characters often wear a SQuare soft cap

(fangjin). often humorous Confuci ans. advisors and copy clerks

Laochou: kind and humorous elder!),

Wuchou : humorous and cunnin g characters adept in martial arts. with cl ear Eunuch: Q ing Dynasty, Chengdu, Sichuan

O fficial: Qing Dynasty, Chengdu, Sichuan

and fluent speaking

Juclg : ing ym1s1y, Hua xi, n oun ly, hililnxi

Deities and Spirits

Pi g spirit: Huax ian County, Shaanxi

Double-faced legendary evil mini ster: Republic of China, Huax ian County

59

58

Spirit: Qing Dynasty, Huax ian County

Spirit: Qing Dynasty, Huax ian County

61

60

God of Wind : Q ing Dynasty, Huaxian County

God of Wealth: Q in g Dynasty, Huaxian County

Deity: Qing Dynasty, Huaxian County

Deity: Q ing Dynasty, co llected by Tai Liping of Huaxian County, Shaa nxi

62

D ity on a black tiger: carved by Zhang Huazhou of Huaxian County, Shaa nxi

Characters from the novel Creation of the Cods : Ming Dynasty, Xiaoyi, Shanxi

6+

PUPPET DESl(;NS IN THE NOR..THER..N SHADOW PLAY

The sun : Shaanxi Arts Museum

whole Puppets The northern shadow play is a large system, with every troupe having over a hundred puppet bodies. wearing costumes classified into such categories as

kao,

kai, mang. shan, pao. chang andyi. Kao is the armor of generals and so ldiers. with nags on the back. Kai is another kind of armor of military officers. who often wear a yellow magua (mandarin jacket worn over a gown) but no nags on the back.

Mang is the ceremonial robe of emperors. princes, generals and ministers: ye llow for emperors, white for aged loyal ministers. black for black-faced or evil ministers, red and green for common ministers.

67

66

Woman general: Qing Dynasty, Fengrun County, Hebei Woman with coi led buns of hair: Qing Dynasty, Fengrun County

Aged woman in gorgeous clothes: Qing Dynasty, Fengrun County

Swordsman, w ea ring a color ca p with silk ba ll s: Q ing Dynasty, Fengrun Coun ty, Hebe i

Empress dowager: early 20th century, Fengrun County

Shan is an unlined upper garment. colored or black.

68

Chang is a cloak or mantle. Yi includes an immortal's garments. a robe with the Eight Diagrams design. a monk's cassock. jail uniforms, and mourning clothes . There are also clothes fitted for acrobatic movements. as well as children's clothes .

Emperor puppets wear a sky-towering crown. and a robe with a yellow dragon design. Ministers wear

mang and a gauze cap . junior officials wear a black gauze

cap and a uniform with rank insignia on the front and back. Field officers wear yellow

magua. If a puppet wears a cloak and a hood, it must be on a journey. If it

has a scarf wrapping its head and wears a white skirt. it must be ill.

An apparent difference between male and female puppets is their shoes: male roles wear boots while female always wear bowed shoes, and some aged wear embroidered shoes for unbound feet.

chou women Soldier: Q ing Dynasty, Funing Coun ty, Hebei

M artial man with a pa inted face: Q in g Dynasty, Letin g Coun ty, Hebei

71

70 Red-faced sword sman w aring a simple silk ap: ing Dyna sty, hangli ounty, H b i

Frownin g marshal: early 20th century, Changli County, Hebei

Aged marshal: Repu blic of China, Q ian'an, Hebei

Shehuo Set Designs In the northern shadow play. there are many set designs depicting

shehuo

performances. village festive activities such

as dragon lantern dance. lion dance. pushing floats , "land boat"

dance. _yangge

dance. dance on stilts. and riding performance .

To the accompaniment of mu sical instruments like suona horn. these scenes appear when there are temple fairs depicted in a shadow play.

72

Woman marshal: Qing Dynasty, Funing County, Hebei

Horseback acrobatics: Republic of China, ca rved by Ruan Guizhong

75

7+

Pushing floats: Republic of China, ca rved by Ruan Guizhong of Fengrun County, Hebei

" Land boat" dan e: Repub lic of Ch ina, arved by Ruan Guizhong

General in sca le-mail armor : Republic of China, Luanxian County, Hebei

77

76

Ne Zha o n the wheels of cloud and fire: Q inhu angdao, Hebei

W oman marshal : Republi c of hina, Tangshan, Hebei

Legend ofthe White Snake The class ical play Legend of the White Snake also has shadow-play versions . The puppets of Xu Xian, Lady White Snake and Monk Fahai ex hibited here were designed in the 1950s by northern shadow play troupes . bearing some characteristics of costumes from local operas of that time.

The Legend of the White Snake tells of a white and a green

79

snake spirit on Mt. Emei who magicalry turn themse lves into two girls called Bai Suzhen and Xiao Qjng. and travel to West Lake. There Bai Suzhen fall s in love with Xu Xian

7B

at first sight. and marries him with the help of Xiao Qjng. Monk Fahai from the linshan Temple tries to sever the marriage. He confuses Xu Xian 's mind and makes him leave home for the temple. To get her husband back. Bai Suzhen fights with Fahai. Though Xu Xian comes to himself later and is reconciled with Bai Suzhen , Fahai still uses his magic power to trap Bai Suzhen in the Leifeng Pagoda. Xiao Qjng prays for help from a deity. and finalry burns down the Pagoda and rescues Bai Suzhen .

Lady White Snake in a Daoist robe : work of Hebei Changli Shadow Play Troupe

81

80

Fahai in cassoc k: work of H ebei Changl i Shadow Pl ay Tro upe

Xu Xi an in a scholar's robe: work of H ebei Changli Shadow Play Troupe

Puppet Heads ot Dan characters The emphasis is on the puppets· ornamentation. and this is close!), related to the dramatic needs and aesthetic tastes of the northern audience. As the puppets are flat. they must be designed in an exaggerative and distorted. concise

way

to manifest the relations of the characters in the play. In general, puppets of

xiaosheng (young male) and xiaodan (young female) characters have hollowed faces . A high nose bridge represents the side face line from forehead to nose tip . The brow connects with the

eye. forming a circle. The mouth is on!), a short red

line, and the chin is at a right angle. Headgear. coiled buns of hair. and earrings are the main differences between male and female characters.

Besides white-faced ones. there are also red-faced. black-faced and green- faced (evil)

dan characters .

Girl: carved by Zhao Guang'en of Fengnan, Hebe i

85

B+

Daoist priestess : Republic of China, carved by Liu Jicheng of Fengrun County, Hebei Evil woman : carved by Xiao Fucheng of Changli County, Hebei

Ornaments on Puppet Heads The ornaments on puppet heads tell the social status of the characters. Take dan characters for example: if a puppet wears a phoeni x-s haped crown. she must be a princess or an imperial concubine. Ordinary women have only hair bun s or flow ers as hea dgear: maid serva nts have th eir hair in a single bun or two coi led hair buns. The Daoist priestess often has W oman w ea rin g a phoenixshaped crown: Repub li c of Ch ina, Li aoning

a large leaf on her head, showi ng she is practicing D aoism in the depths of

Aged woman: Q ing Dynasty, Yushu , Jilin

a mountain .

87

86

Woman w ea rin g a phoenix headgear to indicate her nobility : Q ing Dynasty, carved by Yang Desheng of Funing County, Hebei

You ng woman : Republi c of China, Luanx ian Cou nty, Hebei

Aged woman: Republic of China, Fengrun Coun ty, Hebei

Empress Wu Zetian : Republic of China, Shenyang, Li aoning

Dao ist priestess : Republi c of China, carved by Ruan Gui zhong of Fengrun County, Hebei

88

W oman wea ring a phoenix-shaped crown: ca rved by Lu Fu zeng of Fengrun County, Hebei

Swordswoman: carved by Zhao Guang'en of Fengnan, Hebei

Daoist I ri slcs, : carved by W an)! I ihu,1 of Fengrun ou nl y, I ll'IJl'i

89

G irl: Republic ofChina, carved by Ruan Gui zhong of Fengrun Coun ty, Hebei

Girl : carved by Zhao Guang'en of Fengnan, Hebei

91

90

Young w oman with two co il ed hair bun s: carved by Liu Tianzeng of Tangshan, Hebei Woman general: Q ing Dynasty, Fengrun County , Hebei

Court attendant: Q ing Dynasty, Leting Cou nty, Hebei

W oman: Yuti an County, Hebei

Young woman: Repub li of Chin a, ca rved by Ruan Gui zhong of Fengrun County, Hebei

Unattractive maid: Repub li c of Ch in a, Changli County, Hebei

Woman marshal: Republic of China, Qinglong County, Hebei

W oman wea rin g a phoenix-shaped crown, whose face is flu shed, indi cating she may have fai nted: 1911 , Yu shu, Jilin

A lluring woman, w ea ring a fl ow er-shaped hairpin : Qing Dynasty, Yu shu, Jilin

92

Evi l woman: Repub li c of Chin a, Yutian County, Hebei

Woman with a hairdo popu lar among M anchu women: ca rved by Xiao Fucheng of Changli Cou nty, Hebe i

Puppet Heads of Sheng Characters

Middl e-aged man : Repub li c of China, carved by Ru an Guizhong

M arti al man, wea ring a soft ca p with a fi sh-tai l cl sign: Repub lic of Chin a, ca rved by Ruan Gui zho ng

94

Genera l : ca rved by Lu Fu/Cll8 of rc•ngrun ounty, HPIJci Cowherd: Republic of China, ca rved by Ruan Guizhong of F ngrun County, Hebei

Prime mini ster: Qing Dynasty, carved by Yang Desheng of Funin g County, Hebei

Emperor: Republi c of China, ca rved by Liu Ji cheng of Fengrun County, H ebei

97

Frowning young man w ea ring a color silk cap : Fengrun County, Hebei Young marshals: ca rved by Zhao Guang'en of Fengnan, H ebei

S nior marshal : Qing Dynas ty, Yu shu, Jilin

99

98

M arshal : Q ing Dyn asty: Leting County, Hebei

Dandy young man: Qing Dyn asty, Yushu , Jilin

Dandy young man: Q ing Dynasty, Leting County, Hebei

I 'L111pd Wor-ks oF Ruan Guizhong Durin g the Republic of China (1912-1949), the works of Ruan Guizhong (1889 - 1970), a shadow-play puppet carver from Fengrun County. Hebei, were representative of the plays in west Tangshan. Ruan engaged in this art throughout hi whole life. He placed much emphasis on auspicious decorations. Thanks to his master!}' skills in using knives, his puppets are handsome and pretty and wouldn't be bent, deformed, or discolored despite the smoke and heat of lamps. People were very fond of his works. especial[y those carved between his 50s and 60s, during which time he left a large number of precious unpainted puppets.

101

Prince : ca rved

by Ruan Gui zhong

100

Aged general: ca rved by Ru an Gui zhong

Minority chieftain, w ea ring some plumes: ca rved by Ru an Guizhong

Young general: ( ,1rvcd by Ru an Gui zhong

Puppet Works of Yang Desheng Ya ng Desheng (1873 -1942), o f Hebei's Funing Coun ry. was anoth er represe ntati ve puppet carver of the north ern shadow pl ay. In those yea rs. many troupes ru shed to buy hi s puppets. His works were concise in design. fres h in compos iti on, and exQui site in th eir ca rving. Th e puppets of xiaosheng and xiaodan characters are all good- looking. while th e puppets of jing characters all have nestling sil kwo rm like brows. hand so me noses. and bea rds with five locks . His carv ing strokes were agil e, and he used bo th large and small knives . In hi s later yea rs Yang led a destitute li fe.

Pri nee: ea rved by Yang Desheng

Gen ral : arv cl by Ya ng I shcng

102

.. Prince: ca rved by Yang Desheng

General: carved by Yang Desheng

Chiva lrous swordsman: ca rved by Yang Desheng

General w ea ring a lotus-leaf-shap d helmet: arved by Zhu Bao lin of Zunhu a, Hebei

Zhang Fei, a famous general of the Three Kingdoms: ca rved by Li u Ti anzeng of Tangshan, Hebei

10+

Colors ot Facial Designs Great emphasis is placed on portraying the personalities of characters , and there is a tradition of "endowing loyal and upright characters with handsome looks, and ruthless or evil characters with ug!Y looks" since the Song

Dynasry.

There is a set of srylized facial makeup and decorative designs used in the northern shadow play. The colors are similar to those of other Chinese operas. For example, red faces are related to loyalry and daring, and black faces represent virtue: while white faces mean dupliciry, and bandits and spirits always have green faces.

Guan Yu, a loya l genera l of the Th ree Kingdoms: ca rved by Li u Ti anzeng of Tangshan, Hebei

105

Puppet Heads of Jing characters

M arshal, whose whi skers in three threads: carved by Xiao Fucheng of Changli County, Hebei

General wea ring a lotus- leaf-shaped helmet: Republic of China, Qian'an, Hebei

106

Chivalrous sw ordsman: Republi c of China, Funing Coun ty, Hebei

General : Qing Dynasty, arved by W ang Zhongtian of Funing County, Hebei

Rebel general, wearing whi skers in five locks and a lotu s- leaf-shaped helmet: Q ing Dynasty, Q ian'an, Hebei

107

M an of chivalry : Republi c of China, carved by Ru an Guizhong of Fengrun County, Hebei

108

M arsh al: ca rved by Yang Naiquan of Yuti an County, Hebei

Bao Zheng, an upright official in ancient China: Q ing Dynasty, ca rved by W ang Zho ngti an of Funing County, Hebei

109

Puppet Heads of Chou characters

Wea lthy man : Qing Dynasty , Yushu, Jilin

11'5

114

M arshals: Q in g Dynasty, ca rved by Yang Des heng of Funing County, Hebei

M artial man: Republi c of China, Yutian County, Hebei

M,1rshals: Q in g Dyn,, sly, Yu, hu , Jilin

Aged man wearing a felt cap: Qing Dynasty, Yushu , Jilin

Puppet Heads of E::vil characters To exp ress the moral Qualities of characters. puppet carvers lay emphasis on the pupp ets ·

eyes.

brows. beard. and hair and cap s~les. In the northern shadow

play. evil characters. referred to as "large white face."

always

have a protruding

nose. a large mouth . broom - like brows and so me hori zontal lin es on the face. distinguishing them from the straight noses of

dan and sheng characters. Thi s

techniQue of express ion accords with the Chinese aesthetic se nsibili~. and th e mass judgment of mora li~.

Evil aged landlord w ith th ick b ard: Republic of China, liaoning

117

116

Genera l with a curly beard and wearing a fish tail -shaped cap: Republic of Chi na, Fengrun County, Hebei

Evi l martial man wea ring a ducktai lshaped cap with ornaments: Republic of China, carved by Ru an Gui zhong of Fengrun County, Hebei

Mendica nt monk with a curly beard: Republi c of China, Changli County, Hebei

Evil prime mini ster with a thick bea rd : Republi c of China, Leting County, Hebei

119 M artial man with a red curly bea rd: Republic of China, Changli County, Hebei

118

Evil playboy with a curly beard: Republic of China, ca rved by Ruan Guizhong of Fengrun County, Hebei

Evi l man adept in marti al arts: Republic of China, carved by Ruan Guizhong of Fengrun County, Hebei

Evil marshal with a thick beard: Qing Dynasty, Changli County, Hebei

D 1ties and Spirits In the northern shadow play. a puppet could be used in different plays to represent various characters of the same type. On!)' a few puppets are made for particular characters . For example, the puppet of a woman wearing a crown must be Tang Empress Wu Zetian; the puppet with two small hands sprouting from its

eyes

could on!)' be Yang Ren in the Creation of the Gods; and the puppets of Tang Priest. Monkey. Pig and others in /ournty to the West are also exclusive to these characters. These puppets could not be used to represent other characters. nor replaced by other puppets.

121

120

Thousa nd-handed u, nyin : in8 Q ian' an, H b i

Deity of Fire: Qing Dynasty, Q ian'an, Hebei

yn;is1y,

Monk: Qing Dynasty, Shen yang

Yang Ren, whose eyes were cut out after hi s loya l advi ce annoyed the emperor, was saved by a deity, who gave him a pair of hands with eyes on the palms: Republi c of China, Q ian'an, Hebei

Deity of Land: Republic of China, Shenyang

Daoist pri estess: Republic of China, Shenyang

12)

122

Father Thunder: Republic of China, Shenyang

Immorta l Long-brow: Q ing Dynasty, Q ian'an, Hebe i

God of Longevity: early 20th century, Fengrun County, Hebei

Deity warrior: ca rved by Xiao Fucheng of Changli County, Hebe i

M o nkey: ca rved by Xiao Fucheng of Changli County, Hebei

125

12+

Tang Priest in Journey to the West, sa me as M onkey, Pig and Fri ar Sand : carved by Lu Fuzeng of Fengrun County, H ebei

Pi g: Qing Dynasty, Tangshan, H ebei

Fri ar Sand : Republic of China, Zunhu a, Hebei

126

PUPPET DESIGNS IN TH E CENT R.A L AND SO UTH ER.N SHADOW PLAY

Dragon King: ca rved by Liu Ti anzeng of Tangshan, Hebei

-,. . .

whole Puppets After the capital of the Northern Song

Dynasry

was conQuered in 1127. all kinds

of artists moved south to Lin'an (today's Hangzhou, Zhejiang). following the royal court. During the Southern Song

Dynasry

(1127- 1279), various art forms thrived

even more than they had in Bianjing (capital of the Northern Song. today's Kaifeng.

129

Henan). The shadow play also reached its peak during this period .

128

At the beginning. Zhejiang·s shadow-play puppets were made of color-painted sheepskin, which was gradual!Y replaced by color-painted cowhide. both had strong decorative function and local flavor. This genre gives more weight to color painting than to carving. which is manifested by Haining's puppets of the Qjng

Dynasry. General!Y,

a puppet is 40 cm high. Except for the few used in acrobatic

and fighting scenes that have two moveable arms and legs. most puppets have on!)r one arm. and two unseparated legs.

Aged woman: Republi c of China, co llected by W ang Q iansong of Haining, Zhejiang

Puppet Heads Shadow plays in Lingbao. western Henan, and Tongbai and Luoshan in southern Henan . are representative of Henan ·s shadow play. The puppet designs in the Luoshan area are simple. with little carving but more emp ha sis on color painting. The puppets are S6.7 cm high. and their makeup is designed in a realistic way. and their caps are always separated

Young prime minister: Republic of China, collected by Wang Qiansong

from heads . The puppets popular in Hubei's Jingz hou and Mianyang areas.

Military character: Republi c of China, Haining, Zhejiang

called "Door God figures, " are large and austere in their carving. They represent an old tradition of realism. l:'.,2

Official: Republic of Chin a, coll ected by W ang Qiansong

Minority official: Qing Dynasty, co llected by Wang Qiansong

Military character: Q ing Dyn asty, Haining, Zhejiang

13+

OTHER.. SHADOW PLAY DES I ~ N S

W arrior: Q ing Dynasty, collected by W ang Q ianson g of Haining, Zhejiang

Auspicious Animals Coming Out First In Chinese legend. ao is a divine fish . In remote times. golden and silver carps tried to leap over the dragon gate to become frying dragons; however. some mistaken!)' ate the pearl in the sea, and could onry become ao. with a dragon 's head and a fish 's

body. It was said that when ao blinked, there were earthQuakes; if they turned over. heaven would collapse and the earth sink. Kylin : Qing Dynasty, Yutian County, Hebei

Another tale says that once ayoung man went to the capital to take the imperial exam. While passing the Land of Women. this handsome man was accosted by a group of women. In a panic. he jumped into the sea. but was fortunate!)' saved by an ao. Later when he scored first in the imperial exam. he went to the seaside to thank the ao for its kind aid. The beamingyoung man jumped onto the ao·s head and danced happi!)'. hence the saying "taking on!)' the ao·s head." meaning "coming out first. ..

Dragon: Republi c of China, co ll ected by Zheng Qu anming of Linyi County, Shandong

I Lion: Qing Dynasty, Fengrun County, Hebei

Ox: Qing Dynasty, Q ian'an, Hebei

Cra ne-riding boy: Republic of China, Fengrun County, Hebei

Fire dragon: Q ing Dynasty, Fengxiang County, Shaa nxi

138

Ao: Q ing Dynasty, Huaxian Cou nty, Shaanxi

Divine deer: Republic of Ch ina, Fengrun County, Hebei

Furniture Designs /\usp1cious Connotation s Auspicious connotations have always been the core of Chinese design. Using puns or wordplay. folk artisans imbue auspicious sayings with customary designs for puppets. "Zi ther, chess, calligraphy and painted work." "orchid and peony" (representing promotion and wealth), and "pine, bamboo and plum blossom" (representing high moraliry) are all common designs on the garments and ornaments of scholar puppets; whereas on those of laosheng and laodan character puppets. there are always such designs as a bat and peaches (symbolizing possession of both happiness and longeviry). and a rl!Ji (wish es coming true) and an elephant (auspicious) . Decorative designs on shadow-play sets, such as tables, desks, chairs, carriages and sedan-chairs, include "jade rl!Ji in a bottle" (symbolizing safery and good luck).

Sq uare tables for eight people: Q ing Dynasty, Luanxian County, Hebei

"peony and sweet-scented osmanthus in a bottle" (signifying safery and wealth) ,

141

"three halberds in a bottle" (wishing for promotion in rank) , "five bats circling the Chinese character:%," (happiness and longeviry). "a large cloud" (representing 140

harmony). and so .on. In Chinese tradition, decorative designs must have auspicious connotations. With their inventive minds, folk artisans constituted the audience's favored designs into shadow plays.

Table and chair: Qing Dynasty, Fengrun Cou nty, Hebei

Table and chair: Q ing Dynasty, collected by Tai Liping of Fengxiang County, Shaanxi

1.4-3

14-2

Imperial long tab le and chair: Qing Dynasty, Fengrun County, Hebei

Antique shelf: Qing Dynasty, Fengrun County, H bei

Imperial chair and round table: Qing Dynasty, Luanxian County, H b i

Table and chair: Republic of China, collected by Zheng Q uanming of Linyi County, Shandong

14-4

Large seat for temporary rest: Q ing Dynasty, Leting County, Hebei

Desk and stoo l: Qing Dynasty, co llected by Tai Liping of Fengxi ang County, Shaanxi

145

14-7

Long narrow table with carved flower design: Republic of China, Hebei

14-6

Chairs with carved flower design: Republic of China, Hebei

Chair with carved flower design: Republic of China, Hebei

Carriage Designs There are many carriage designs in the shadow play, like the elephant-drawn carriage for the emperor's inspection tours or carriages for his wife and concubines, carriages for women of rich families, wagon for commoners, and open wagon of peasants . These designs have moving horse hooves and wheels. They are controlled by on!), two operating sticks.

Square tabl e: Q ing D ynasty, Huax ian Coun ty, Shaa nxi

148

Potted peach: Q ing Dynasty, Leting County, Hebei

Elephant-drawn carri age fo r the emperor : carved by Zhang Huazhou of Huax ian County, Shaanxi

Lotus vat: Q in g Dynasty, Lu anxian County, H ebei

Carriage: Q ing Dynasty, Fengrun County, Hebei

150

SHADOW PLAYS lN THE 19605 AND 19705

Carri age: Q in g Dynasty, Lulong County, Hebei

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In the 1960s and 1970s,. model Peking operas appeared in China. As they spread

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around the country after 1969, many shadow-play troupes began to perform these

The puppets were designed based on the popular characters in the Peking operas. Their ornamentation and costumes close!)' resembled those in real life. In many places. the puppet heads were made with transparent plastic, and the positive

sets. Methods such as painting distant views on plastic and setting secondary lights

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W oman Red Army soldier: Changli Shadow Play Troupe, Hebei

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beyond the curtain were used.

152

A Qing's wife in Shajia Bang: Qinhuangdao Shadow Pl ay Troupe

O ld coupl e: Qinhuangdao Shadow Pl ay Troupe

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characters often had a pinkish hue on their faces to show their integriry. To accurate!_y transplant the model operas into a shadow play. many troupes reformed lighting and

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model operas with puppets, such as Shajia Bang. Taking Tiger Mountain f?y Strategy. and The Sto,y of the Red Lantern.

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Soldiers of the Red Army (left) and the New Fourth Army: Changli Shadow Play Troupe

155

15+ Foreigner: Qinhuangdao Shadow Play Troupe

Villagers : Qinhuangdao Shadow Play Troupe, H ebei

Eagle, a negative character in

Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy: Qinhuangdao Shadow Play Troupe

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