Face Painting

Written by Mdlovu,
 edited by TLAA

The Mask Museum is geared towards the do it yourself (DIY) experience. There are hundreds of masks on display, although you can only choose out of a few dozen to actually paint. 

Everybody try to make their own Face Painting

First, you have to trace the design on to the wood using carbon paper. Then you can start painting. Guided tours are available (in Chinese) which give a good understanding into how the masks are designed. As the mask covers the actors face, the colors and designs used replace facial emotions and express what kind of character the wearer is. 

They also have a small do it yourself (DIY) area where you can try your hand at painting your own mask or beautification. The jing hang roles or painted faces are all male characters. 

Different Face have different mean

Actors playing jing roles have their faces painted in special designs. The parts played by jing actors are mostly unusual individuals with highly pronounced personalities; they may be particularly rough and crude, supremely honest and upright, evil and fiendishly cunning, or very simple and straightforward. In every case, they are larger than life individuals. 

Dan hang mean the actors who perform female characters, usually the female lead; they normally wear white and red face makeup. Dan hang are separated according to age, persona and facial make up into many of classes, including old woman, demure woman, coquettish woman, comic female lead, female warrior, women skilled in the martial arts. With the exception of actors playing lao dan roles. 

Many different Face in this Mask Museum

The duties played by the actors have a highly symbolic character; skilled construal by the actors is needed to really bring each role across to the audience. The roles represent the types of person appearing in the opera, and their special characteristics. To play a particular role, actors need a particular form of artistic skill, and having this skill defines the actor’s status within the troupe.