What are the various types of masks for various purposes?

Masks, the ancient name of the elf head, also known as false face, on behalf of the face and big face; in folklore is called face shell, face or ghost face. Masks from the primitive witchcraft Nuo rituals or primitive music and dance. Shang and Zhou period, the bronze manufacturing process is highly developed, all classes of society prevalent rituals, Nuo activities flourished in the world, the mask development ushered in the first climax. This period appeared in China's longest heritage, the radiation of the widest geographical area of the Fang Xiang's mask.

The Qin and Han Dynasties use the most masks in the field of Nuo and opera, followed by funerals and hunting.

Sui-Tang period is the second peak of the mask development. This period of wood, bamboo, cloth, silk instead of bronze, animal skin and other materials. Masks were commonly used in music and dance, and at this time appeared Lanling Wang mask. The aesthetic function of the mask began to occupy the first place. Song and Yuan dynasties is the third peak of the development of China's masks, court Nuo opera and folk Nuo opera popular. Ming and Qing dynasties, remote areas of Li tools flourished. Masks to Tibet as the source of Tibetan masks and Sichuan as the starting point for the development of Nuo masks, to the decline in modern times.

Masks, as an ancient culture, had universally entered the field of social life of Chinese nationalities, and formed a unique cultural form. The cultural deposits it contains involve various fields such as religion, rituals, folklore and art, and it is a mirror of the history of each ethnic group.

By form, it can be divided into types such as false face, false head, face jewelry, mask, painting, face painting and face changing.

Fake face

The most common, people usually say masks mostly refers to fake face. Most of the masks are as big as a human face, worn on the human face, with holes in the mouth and eyes for talking, singing and looking at objects. Another important feature is: it is mostly plane relief, convex and concave, slightly curved, a few for the flat plate, using painting, knitting, cutting and chiseling and other techniques. Fake face is also extremely wide range of uses, dance, theater, war, exorcism, rituals and various folk activities are used to disguise it.

False head

refers to the head masks, wearing most of the whole head cover, leaving the eyes and mouth position, to facilitate the rap performance. Historically, the appearance of false head is earlier than all other types of masks, most of the masks in primitive society belong to the false head category. After the Song Dynasty, the important position of the false head in the mask was gradually replaced by the false face.

Face

Tied to the body as a small mask to decorate and ward off evil spirits. It is usually worn on the chest, arm or waist. The top or both sides are drilled with small holes for wearing. The shape can be divided into two kinds of human face and animal face, and the human face shape is mostly. People often carve portraits of deceased relatives on the face jewelry, worn on the chest to send their condolences. The face of the production of most of the plane relief, but also for the negative line carving or other techniques used to make.

Mask

Also known as the "dead face", is covered in the dead face mask. The size is similar to the human face, or slightly larger than the human face. Many peoples around the world have the custom of covering the mask on the face of the dead, the original reason for five points: so that the soul of the deceased wandering easy to recognize his body, lest he lose his way and have nothing to rely on; so that future generations will always remember the dead live when the majesty of; slow down the decomposition of the body, the body to play a role in protection; to prevent the soul of the dead to escape and stay on earth to make a mess; to protect the face of the dead, so that the dead in the journey towards the Yellow Springs to avoid the harm of the evil spirits. . Because of the first two reasons, masks are generally made according to the deceased's appearance in life, masks are mostly made of gold, silver, jade, copper and other precious materials as raw materials, a few made of clay cheap materials.

Face

Also known as "soft masks". It can be divided into two categories: theater face painting and social fire face painting. Theater face painting, as a method of makeup for theater, was developed on the basis of the Tang and Song Dynasty face painting makeup.

Face

It is a mask that is hung and placed in temples, social altars, portals, tombs and other places. Similar to the false face, but most of them are larger than the false face, eyes and mouth are not left empty. The shape is divided into two kinds of human face and animal face, with different uses. Most of the humanoid masks are placed in temples or social altars for people to sacrifice, worship, pray for the idol of heroes, ancestors or gods, with the effect of driving away evil spirits. The animal-shaped statue is commonly known as "swallowing the sun", due to the different places, and there are "Zhentomb swallowing the mouth" and "Zhenzhai swallowing the mouth" of the division. Zhentomb Tunkou is hanging on the four walls of the tomb or coffin, commonly made of bronze or talcum, the role is to protect the owner of the tomb, so that it is not subject to the intrusion of demons and monsters. Town house swallow mouth is also called "heaven mouth", "spout" and "tiger head plate", placed in the door anorexia victory to ward off evil spirits, in order to make the demons and monsters do not dare to intrude on the mansion.