Characteristics of Peking Opera Costumes
PekingOperawasborninthe55thyear(1790)ofthereignofEmperorQianlongoftheQingDynasty(1644-1911),whenfourbigHuibanoperatroupesenteredBeijingandbegantoadoptelementsoftheKunqu,Yiyang,HanjuandLuantanoperaformsalreadypopularincapital'splaydomatthetime.Morethanhalfacenturylater,thetroupescombinedandintegratedstoriesandmethodsfromthevariouspopularoperastylestheyencountered,eventuallyresultinginformofPekingOpera.XingtouPekingOperacostumesarecalledXingtouor,morepopularly,XifuinChinese.TheoriginsofPekingOperacostumescanbetracedbacktothemid-14thcentury,whenoperaticprecursorsfirstbeganexperimentingwithlargeornatearticlesofclothing.RulesofCostumeTradition(1)Anachronismsareallowable.Aperformer'scostumeprimarilydesignateshisorherroleonthestagenomatterwhenorwheretheactiontakesplace.Characters,whethertheyarefromancienttimesorinpre-modernChina,appearontheChineseoperastagewearingcostumessuitabletotheirroles.(2)Regardlessofwhichseasonisbeingdepictedinperformance,theoperacostumeisthesame.Weatherisdescribedineverysceneandmustbemadeclearbytheactor'smovements,ratherthanhisclothing.(3)PekingOperacostumesmustenabletheaudiencetodistinguishacharacter'ssexandstatusatfirstglance.Intermsofsymbolism,PekingOperacostumeshaveitssocialhierarchy--nobleorhumble,civilianormilitary,officialorprivatecitizens.(4)Bymeansofasubtledifference,operacostumesoftengiveexpressiontosharpdistinctionsbetweengoodandevilor,preferably,loyalandwickedcharacters.OblongWings(chizi)attachedtoagauzehatindicatealoyalofficial.Incontrast,acorruptofficialismadetowearagauzehatwithrhomboidalwings.(5)Baldrics,thoughapparentlyoflittleornoaccountascomparedwithsuchprincipalitemsascrownsandrobes,mayneverthelessfunctiontobringaboutmoredramaticeffectsonthestage.Forinstance,thewingsattachedtoahat,theplumes(lingzi)pinnedtoahelmetandthecascadingsleeves(shuixiu)sewntoagarmentaccentuatemovementeveniftheyhavelittlepracticaluse.Intheearlydays,operacostumesweremainlymadeofwoolorcoarsecloth;later,satin,crepeandsilkwereused,decoratedwithvariousmeticulouslyembroideredpatterns.Themakingofoperacostumesisaspecialanduniquestagecraft.ThecostumeboxfirstappearedintheMingDynasty(1368-1644),andwasgreatlyimprovedintheQingDynasty(1644-1911).LavishCostumes(1)Headdress:DesignatedbythegeneraltermToukui,operaheaddresscomprisessuchitemsascrown,helmet,hatandscarf.Crownsarefortheemperorandnobles;militarypeoplewearmarshals,helmets;ordinaryfolkswearsoftscarvesorstrawhats.Someheadgear,suchascrowns,isrigid,whileothersaresoft.(2)Costume:Thereare20majorkindsofcostumes,includingtheceremonialrobe,orMang;theinformalrobe,orPei;andthearmor,orKao,forsoldiers.Tencolorsareused,halfofwhicharethefiveprimarycolors(orshangwuse),namely,red,green,yellow,whiteandblack,incontrasttotheothergroupofpink,blue,purple,pale-brownandpale-blue,allofwhicharelabeledsecondarycolors(xiawuse).Manydetailsshouldbepaidattentionto,forexample,Mangisthegeneralcostumefortheemperorandnobles,buttherearedifferencesbetweenthesecostumes.Thereisadragon,openingitsmouthontheMangfortheemperor,whilethedragonontheMangfortheministersandgeneralshavingitsmouthclosed.Thedragonsonthecostumeofthecivilofficialsaregentleandquiet,whiletheonesonthecostumeofthemartialofficialsareboldandmighty.Therearecleardistinctionsbetweentheuseofcolors,forexample,theredMangstandsformajesticandnoble,thegreenMangindicatesmightyandbold,thewhiteonefitsthehandsomeyoungpeople,andtheblackoneisfortheuprightandunconstrainedpeople.Besides,therearesimplifiedMangandMangspecificallymadeforthefemaleactress,theLaodan,andthepalaceeunuch.(3)Operashoes:Awidevarietyofshoesandbootsareusedinoperaperformance,mainlyplatformboots(houdixue),tiger-headedboots(hutouxue),thin-soledcombatfootwearmadeofblacksatin(kuaixue),fish-headpugilist'sshoes,lacedboxer'sshoes,etc.