Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The craft of making theatrical costumes and props is a unique manual art of Suzhou. Its origin can be traced back to the mid-Ming dynasty, when it arose alongside Kunqu opera—the most elegant and refined among the southern and northern operatic traditions of the time. Since the Ming and Qing dynasties, Suzhou has always been a major producer of silk and cotton fabrics, and Suzhou embroidery has become renowned at home and abroad for its exquisite craftsmanship. In the 1830s, the stage costumes of the four most celebrated "dan" (female-role) masters of Peking opera—Mei Lanfang, Cheng Yanqiu, Xun Huisheng, and Shang Xiaoyun—were all custom-made in Suzhou.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Under these circumstances, Suzhou's theatrical costume and prop making gained advantages unmatched by other regions. Suzhou theatrical costumes and props encompass a complete range of categories, with rich varieties, distinctive patterns, elegant colors, fine workmanship, and excellent production. At present, Suzhou alone in the whole country is capable of producing more than a thousand varieties across six major categories—stage garments, helmets and hats, boots and shoes, weapons, beards and facial ornaments, and head ornaments—including 378 types of stage garments, 246 types of hats, 276 types of weapons, 41 types of boots, 79 types of beards and facial ornaments, and 23 types of head-ornament sequins. Each variety of Suzhou theatrical costume and prop has its own distinctive craftsmanship, and to this day each piece is still handmade one at a time; because embroidery, assembly, and sewing vary in color and specification, every piece must pass rigorous checks at each step. The selection of various patterns follows traditional expressive methods and cultural elements, and the embroidery colors further display the light, elegant, and graceful character of the Suzhou water towns. Suzhou theatrical costumes and props possess a profound historical and cultural foundation. They blend together various cultural and artistic elements—painting, embroidery, color, history, and literature—and combine techniques such as shaping, printing and painting, sewing, and leatherworking to form a unique and systematic manual craft. Under present circumstances, the decline of traditional theater has brought about a downturn in costume and prop making. The workforce is aging, the number of skilled workers is shrinking, and industry incomes are low, all of which affect the transmission and development of the craft; it is therefore necessary to take measures for its rescue and protection.
Six classes, a thousand items
Only Suzhou can make the full thousand-odd items across six classes, from 378 costumes and 276 weapons down to 41 boots.
Costume, helmet, odds and weapons
The trade divides into garments, helmets, sundries and weapon shafts, of which the first three demand the most elaborate workmanship.
Suzhou embroidery for opera dress
Suzhou silk and embroidery supply both the cloth and the embroiderers, and a single embroidered robe may take months to complete.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The craft of making Suzhou theatrical costumes and props is centered on Suzhou City, Jiangsu Province, and extends to the Shanghai and Hangzhou areas. Suzhou theatrical costumes and props encompass a complete range of categories, with rich varieties, distinctive patterns, elegant colors, fine workmanship, and excellent production. At present, Suzhou alone in the whole country is capable of producing more than a thousand varieties across six major categories—stage garments, helmets and hats, boots and shoes, weapons, beards and facial ornaments, and head ornaments. Suzhou's silk-weaving and embroidery industries supply the fabrics and embroidery work for the costumes, while the year-round performances of Kunqu and Su opera continuously generate new requirements for stage attire.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship · Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship · Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Li Rongsen (from the official archive of the associated inheritor): Male, Han ethnicity, born 1956, a native of Suzhou, Jiangsu. A representative inheritor of the first national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage items, for the craft of theatrical costume and prop making; a master craftsman at the Suzhou Theatrical Costume and Prop Cooperative Company. He has considerable research into the styles of various regional operas and the schools within them, and has essentially mastered the entire production process of all theatrical costume and prop products as well as the manufacturing techniques of most prop items. After becoming deputy factory director, Li Rongsen vigorously pushed forward the improvement and innovation of traditional stage garments. Under his leadership, the enterprise produced theatrical costumes and props with a complete range of categories, rich varieties, distinctive patterns, elegant colors, fine workmanship, and excellent production. In 2000, he was invited by the State Council Information Office to accompany a Chinese government cultural delegation on a visit to the United States, serving as consultant for the accompanying exhibition of Chinese costumes through the ages. In his spare time, he also attended to organizing and collecting materials, and in 2006 completed writing the book Chinese Traditional Stage Garments.
05 · Associated Representative Bearers
Representative bearers recorded under this item, organized by national nomination batch:
- Li Rongsen 01-0194
- Sun Ying 03-1340
- Li Jizong
- Zhang Hua
06 · Authoritative Sources & Bibliography
Sources
China Intangible Cultural Heritage Network (ihchina.cn)
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