Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship
01 · Historical Records
The craft of making theatrical costumes and props in Beijing emerged in the mid-Qing dynasty, arising alongside the rise of Peking opera art.
02 · Core Techniques & Process
Theatrical costumes and props are divided into four categories—garments, helmets, miscellaneous items, and weapons. "Garments" mainly refers to stage clothes; "helmets" mainly include helmets and hats; "miscellaneous" mainly includes beards and boots; and "weapons" mainly refers to spears, swords, and the like. Among these, the crafting techniques for helmet heads, stage garments, and boots are relatively complex. Beijing stage costumes most emphasize stage artistic effect; their beautiful and exaggerated forms, colors, and patterns help set off the artistic image of the characters in a play. The design and making of Beijing stage costumes involve every aspect of Peking opera costume accessories, stressing bright colors, grand forms, and rich patterns. They are characterized by strict and refined techniques, meticulous and exquisite workmanship, high-grade and luxurious materials, and a graceful and imposing style, adding brilliance to Peking opera performances.
Four divisions of the trade
Garments, helmets, sundries and weapon shafts form the trade, with costumes, helmets and boots the most demanding.
Colour, shape and the whole set
Mango, kao, pei and zhe have their fixed shapes and sizes, so a role's costumes must be assembled complete for the scene.
Exaggeration on stage
Exaggerated form, colour and pattern serve the figure on stage, and sleeves, flags and plumes are sized to the actor's own body.
03 · Regional Records & Related Items
The craft of theatrical costume and prop making is centered on the Beijing Theatrical Costume Factory and linked with costume workshops in Tianjin and the Dingxing area of Hebei. Beijing stage costumes most emphasize stage artistic effect; their beautiful and exaggerated forms, colors, and patterns help set off the artistic image of the characters in a play. The design and making of Beijing stage costumes involve every aspect of Peking opera costume accessories, stressing color, form, and completeness as a set, so a full set of attire must be matched at once according to the character's status and the scene.
Other submitting regions for the same item: Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship · Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship · Juzhuangxiju Making Craftsmanship.
04 · Cultural Value & Contemporary Safeguarding
Beijing stage costumes are suitable for appreciation and collection, and hold important reference value for research into traditional Chinese opera costume and ancient Chinese attire. With social change, there are now few master craftsmen truly able to make theatrical costumes, and grandmaster-level figures are even rarer; moreover, new talent is hard to sustain. If this traditional craft, which has developed for over a century, is not protected in time, it will face the danger of being lost. Sun Ying (from the official archive of the associated inheritor): Female, Han ethnicity, born in July 1957, a native of Shouxian County, Anhui Province. A representative inheritor of the third national-level batch of intangible cultural heritage items, for the craft of theatrical costume and prop making. A first-grade industrial arts master of Beijing. While studying at the Beijing Arts and Crafts Technical School, she learned Beijing embroidery from teachers Meng Xuelin, Zhang Yujiang, and Xin Fengrong. After graduating in 1976 she joined the Beijing Theatrical Costume Factory, where she studied traditional costume design under costume masters Yin Yuanzhen and Wang Minzheng, and designed costumes for many renowned Peking opera performers. In 1982 she was admitted to the Beijing Academy of Arts. She formerly served as deputy factory director and chief craft master of the Beijing Theatrical Costume Factory. The costumes she designed innovated on the basis of established conventions, highlighting the individuality of the characters. Her embroidery technique embodies the characteristics and style of Beijing embroidery art. She took part in making costumes for several opera genres and for film and television, and her original and reproduced works have been collected by multiple cultural-relics institutions. She is the author of works such as Theatrical Costume Patterns and Beijing Embroidery. She has trained several disciples including Zhang Yan and Zhang Qian, and over the years has actively promoted the transmission of the item into school campuses.
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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