Mask characteristics of Nuo opera in Guichi with local and national characteristics

How much do you know about your local opera? I may have seen a lot, but I don't know much about its source characteristics. If you don't know your local opera, you can learn more about it! Then, in this issue, I will show you the cultural characteristics of Guichi Nuo Opera.

May be interested in the performance form of Tibetan opera.

Guichi Nuo Opera Mask

During the Cultural Revolution, the masks of Nuo Opera in Guichi were destroyed and lost. Fortunately, 27 masks were collected by Mr. Wang Zhaogan on the ceiling of the Cultural Center as exhibits of the "Four Old People" exhibition, thus being preserved. These masks have become the treasures of Nuo culture in Guichi, and most of them were made in Daoguang period of Qing Dynasty or earlier. Among them, an emperor mask in Yao Village, Liu Jie Township, Guichi was identified as a Ming Dynasty product by Shanghai experts.

These Nuo opera masks were investigated by the author and Mr. Wang Zhaogan, and they came from the Yao and Wang families in Guichi County. These Nuo masks are vivid in modeling, skillful and fluent in knife work, exaggerated in image and rigorous in structure, which embodies the charm of characters and shows the superb skills and artistic expression ability of sculptors of that era.

There is no helmet on the mask of Nuo opera in Tangjia Old House, Mao Tan Township, Guichi City. During the performance, the actors wore seven stars on their masks. Beautiful and powerful.

The Nuo theatre in Guichi has the following characteristics:

1, using traditional production technology, simple and smooth knife cutting and fine carving;

2, pay attention to realism in modeling and exaggerate deformation;

3, the color is single and dignified, and a few masks are strong and gorgeous, but they all pay attention to color contrast and harmony;

4. Because they are geographically adjacent to Jiuhua Mountain, influenced by Buddhism and the carving art of Buddha statues, most of them are kind-hearted, generous and blessed. Most of the masks of modern Nuo opera inherited these characteristics, while the masks made in Ming and Qing dynasties were more primitive and extensive.