The white-faced image symbolizes wickedness and viciousness, while black-faced image stands for equity and selflessness. The age can be reflected by the height and shape of “Crow’s-feet”, temperament by the opening and closing of “Chordal furrow”, and personality by different patterns of “Glabella furrow”.Īdditionally, in the types of facial makeup in Peking Opera there exist some invariable images including white-faced Tsao Tsao and black-faced Bao Zheng. Also, it is characterized by portraying facial expressions with exaggerated nasal fossas and lipped fossas. As an impressionistic and exaggerated art, types of facial makeup in Peking Opera is featured by painting brows, eyelids and jowls in various patterns such as bat, swallow wing and butterfly wing. They can reflect the identity, status, personality and appearance of the characters and therefore can intensify the artistic appeal on stage. Historical characters in Chinese traditional Peking Opera are provided with different types of facial makeup. Since every historical character or characters of a certain type are provided with a particular facial type, similar to music scores for singing and playing music, such a method of makeup is named “Types of facial makeup”.Īmong all Chinese traditional operas, types of facial makeup in Peking Opera have developed into the most systematic and mature one. Types of facial makeup are a special method of makeup in Chinese traditional operas.

For instance, overall painted face, and only painted in the center of the face, connecting eyes and nose. Moreover, paint figures have different types. Pink symbolizes sophistication, and cool-headedness. Yellow symbolizes ambition, fierceness, or intelligence.īlue stands for steadfastness ( someone who is loyal and sticks to one side no matter what ). Green denotes impulsive behavior, violence, no self-restraint or self-control.īlack denotes boldness, fierceness, impartiality, rough.

The larger the white painted area, the crueler the role. Any performer with white painted face usually takes the part of a villain of the show. White symbolizes sinister, evil, crafty, treacherous, and suspicious. They are used to symbolize a character’s role, fate, and illustrate the character’s emotional state and general character. In china Exaggerated paints on opera performer’s face which ancient warriors decorated themselves to scare the enemy are used in the opera each color has a different meaning.

Chinese opera makeup meaning