Characteristics of Peking Opera Costumes

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Characteristics of Peking Opera Costumes

Peking Opera was born in the 55th year (1790) of the reign of Emperor Qianlong of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), when four big Huiban opera troupes entered Beijing and began to adopt elements of the Kunqu, Yiyang, Hanju and Luantan opera forms already popular in capital's playdom at the time. More than half a century later, the troupes combined and integrated stories and methods from the various popular opera styles they encountered, eventually resulting in form of Peking Opera.

Xingtou
Peking Opera costumes are called Xingtou or, more popularly, Xifu in Chinese. The origins of Peking Opera costumes can be traced back to the mid-14th century, when operatic precursors first began experimenting with large ornate articles of clothing.

Rules of Costume Tradition
(1) Anachronisms are allowable. A performer's costume primarily designates his or her role on the stage no matter when or where the action takes place. Characters, whether they are from ancient times or in pre-modern China, appear on the Chinese opera stage wearing costumes suitable to their roles.

(2) Regardless of which season is being depicted in performance, the opera costume is the same. Weather is described in every scene and must be made clear by the actor's movements, rather than his clothing.

(3) Peking Opera costumes must enable the audience to distinguish a character's sex and status at first glance. In terms of symbolism, Peking Opera costumes have its social hierarchy -- noble or humble, civilian or military, official or private citizens.

(4) By means of a subtle difference,

opera costumes often give expression to sharp distinctions between good and evil or, preferably, loyal and wicked characters. Oblong Wings (chizi) attached to a gauze hat indicate a loyal official. In contrast, a corrupt official is made to wear a gauze hat with rhomboidal wings.

(5) Baldrics, though apparently of little or no account as compared with such principal items as crowns and robes, may nevertheless function to bring about more dramatic effects on the stage. For instance, the wings attached to a hat, the plumes (lingzi) pinned to a helmet and the cascading sleeves (shuixiu) sewn to a garment accentuate movement even if they have little practical use.

In the early days, opera costumes were mainly made of wool or coarse cloth; later, satin, crepe and silk were used, decorated with various meticulously embroidered patterns. The making of opera costumes is a special and unique stagecraft. The costume box first appeared in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and was greatly improved in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Lavish Costumes
(1) Headdress: Designated by the general term Toukui, opera headdress comprises such items as crown, helmet, hat and scarf. Crowns are for the emperor and nobles; military people wear marshals, helmets; ordinary folks wear soft scarves or straw hats. Some headgear, such as crowns, is rigid, while others are soft.

(2) Costume: There are 20 major kinds of costumes, including the ceremonial robe, or Mang; the informal robe, or Pei; and the armor, or Kao, for soldiers. Ten colors are used, half of which are the five primary colors (or shang wu se), namely, red, green, yellow, white and black, in contrast to the other group of pink, blue, purple, pale-brown and pale-blue, all of which are labeled secondary colors (xia wu se).

Many details should be paid attention to, for example, Mang is the general costume for the emperor and nobles, but there are differences between these costumes. There is a dragon, opening its mouth on the Mang for the emperor, while the dragon on the Mang for the ministers and generals having its mouth closed. The dragons on the costume of the civil officials are gentle and quiet, while the ones on the costume of the martial officials are bold and mighty. There are clear distinctions between the use of colors, for example, the red Mang stands for majestic and noble, the green Mang indicates mighty and bold, the white one fits the handsome young people, and the black one is for the upright and unconstrained people. Besides, there are simplified Mang and Mang specifically made for the female actress, the Laodan, and the palace eunuch.

(3) Opera shoes: A wide variety of shoes and boots are used in opera performance, mainly platform boots (hou di xue), tiger-headed boots (hu tou xue), thin-soled combat footwear made of black satin (kuai xue), fish-head pugilist's shoes, laced boxer's shoes, etc.

京剧服装

传统的京剧服装不受时代、地域的限制，只要是表现封建社会内容的戏，不管是表现什么朝代，什么地域都可以用。其概括的能力非常之大，使用的范围也非常之广，它只受角色的身份、行当的制约。另外，京剧的服装还不受季节的影响。一般的情况下，不分纱、丝绸、棉、皮、夹的、单的等等。除非剧情有特定的要求，一定要表明季节，才根据剧情略略的加一些装饰性的点缀。（比如：下雪时，仅仅加一个斗篷就足以表明是雪天了）。

京剧服装还不受生活逻辑的制约。比如有：水袖、靠背旗、雉尾等等，都是为了表现角色的表演而佩带的。

京剧的服装分得非常细致的。比如：“蟒”。这种服装就是帝王将相有爵位的人在朝贺、宴会等非常庄重严肃的场合才穿的礼服。

虽然都称为“蟒”，但是，根据剧情中人物的身份和地位的不同，是大有区别的。比如：皇帝穿的“蟒”，衣服上绣的叫“龙”这个龙有五爪。而且龙是张着嘴，嘴里吐出火珠。
而亲王、大臣、将帅的“蟒”上绣的也是“龙”的形状，但是不叫“龙”，叫“蟒”。“蟒”只有四个爪，“蟒”的嘴是闭着的，象征着群臣折服。

文官的衣服上绣的龙是“团龙”，很文静。武官衣服上绣的龙多是“散龙”，呈腾越的姿势，象征着威武、果敢。 “蟒”的颜色有很多的区别：分别有上五色和下五色之分。上五色有：黄、红、绿、白、黑。下五色有：蓝、古铜、紫、粉、秋香色。

什么人物穿什么颜色的衣服，这在京剧里面是非常讲究的。拿“黄色”来说，就有两种“黄色”：正黄色（浅黄），这种黄色只有皇帝才能穿。而太后、太子、亲王虽然也穿黄色，但是必须是深黄色（杏黄色）。

红色的“蟒”表示很庄严高贵，是地位比较高的王侯、宰相、驸马、钦差、元帅才能穿用。绿色的“蟒”表示威严英武，是地位很高的武官的穿戴。另外，还包括一些“绿林好汉”“草莽英雄”。而穿白色“蟒”袍的大多是少年英俊、潇洒的人物。黑色“蟒”袍的穿戴者多是刚直不阿、性情威猛、豪爽的人物。以上是“上五色”。 “下五色”相对面就宽了一些。

男士在穿蟒时，必须围玉带。
注：白蟒还有一种特殊的用途那就是给"草寇"用的。区别是：一般的达观贵人穿蟒必须穿到脚面。而草寇穿的蟒只穿到膝盖，用以表示他们并不是正统的帝王将相，但是看似庄重，反而给人一种浅薄可笑的意义在里面。

女蟒：女蟒的颜色比较少，只有黄、红、白等颜色。黄色自然是给皇后专用，其他女官均穿红色的蟒袍。白色的蟒袍是孝服。

老旦蟒：蟒袍仅过膝盖，但是必须佩带凤冠、腰挂玉带。太后穿的是杏黄色蟒袍、其他如：一品诰命夫人、贵夫人、太夫人则穿秋香色的蟒袍，头上要戴老旦冠，腰间系丝绦以和皇太后区别。

简蟒：简蟒的式样与蟒相同，只是刺绣的图案少一些。这是为了减轻重量，利于表演。简蟒虽然简单一些，但是地位并不低下，头戴相纱以示地位的尊贵和职务的显赫。
还有一种是太监们专用的蟒袍，样式和其他蟒袍一样，只是下身开隙，是随驾太监一类人的穿着。

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