Antique Nuo Opera Female Mask, China (19220)

Description

The most representative regional Chinese masks are Nuo masks used in Nuo operas performed in mainly rural towns and provincial villages in Southern China since antiquity. Their origins stem from spirit and ancestor worship and Taoism. Associated with ancient Nuo rituals, dances, and theater they were primarily exorcism ceremonies to drive away evil spirits. Masks performances ranged from those with a few dozen to 200 masks with distinctive facial features, decoration, regional and ethnic individuality, and aesthetic diversity. Most are poplar or willow woods which are light and less likely to crack. Willow is said to ward off evil. These dramas present religious and cultural values and origins, the world of gods and spirits, historical legends, and folktales. Performances vary by area and include stories from popular literary works which resonate with illiterate populations.

This image portrays a zhengshen – a benevolent god with a kind and honest nature and gentle disposition — symbolizing the great power of good over evil. Female zhengshen are generally portrayed as “a beautiful and dignified young woman with a … small cherry-like mouth shaped like a phoenix coronet … to correspond to the ideal image of a kind-hearted figure like Buddha.” (Li) This mask  embodies traditional Chinese theatrical ideals of feminine beauty: elongated, elegant almond eyes, slender arched eyebrows, an oval face, and a serene, subtle smile. The black chignon is bound by a red crown with remnants of gold-leaf accents.

Most Nuo masks are brightly painted, but the age and heavy use of this piece have resulted in losses. The different coloured base coats indicate it was probably repainted several times over the last 100 years and reused. The crackle beige layer and areas around eyes, mouth, nose, and hair reveal the original white gesso.

Passed down by families and troupes, Nuo Opera was especially popular in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Although  still performed in rural areas, there are few remaining troupes. Government campaigns against superstition since 1949 destroyed most antique masks. (CITS) Based on their traditional value and scarcity, antique authentic Nuo masks are seen as treasures of Chinese folk art and are highly collected.

AI Market Valuation Summary

AI rates this piece as an Exceptional Collectors piece for the following reasons:

female Nuo masks are relatively rare since traditional Nuo opera rituals featured mostly male performers who played female roles. Its authenticity as a ritually dance-worn mask includes the natural flaked and cracked lacquer coat from use and humidity, oxidized wood. The back shows defined, layered gouge marks from a traditional curved hand-adze. Its use is seen in the extensive darkening from skin contact, oil absorption, and charcoal and hearth smoke soot. The original hand-spun natural fiber cord through the side holes definitively indicates its well-preserved state. Specks of environmental debris prove it was kept for generations in a traditional village setting rather than a storage environment.

Sources

Lan Li, Popular Religion in Modern China: The New Role of Nuo, Ashgate Publisher, New York, 2015                                                                  Vijith Menon, Chinese Masks: History and Meaning, updated Feb 28, 2018                                                                                                            Margaret E. Poggio, Wooden Tujia Masks for Nuo Opera in the Chinese Minority Nationalities” Art Gallery at the Shanghai Museum,        CITS, China International, Nuo Opera – Behind theMasks, www.cits.net                                                                                                              historyplex, Chinese Masks, History and Meaning                                                                                                                                                        History of Masks, History of Chinese Masks, historyofmasks.net