600yrs Heritage: Chinese Ming Opera Mask Collection #68

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Welcome to Oriental Ethnic / Folk Handicrafts Store ** explore 1000+ finely selected ONE OF A KIND handicrafts in 8 major categories ** * Collectibles * Art & Crafts * Home Decor & Furnishings * Jewelry * Bags & Accessories * * Clothing & Shoes * Babies & Kids * Music & Musical Instruments * Item Description - 600 Years of Heritage: Chinese Ming Dynasty Opera Wooden Mask Since Ming Dynasty during the 14th Century Ground Opera originated sometime between 1368 and 1398 during the reign of Ming Dynasty. When Ming expanded its territories, estimated 200,000+ armed forces relocated from Central China to the Southwest Frontier. They stationed in remote mountainous 'Tun Pu' (Tun Pu means fortress in Chinese) and brought along the Ground Opera with them. It was played for both entertainment and army practicing purposes, and could be performed in any open grounds. (hence called "Ground" Opera). Theatrical Costume, Vivid Masks, Orchestral Music, Historical Fictions During the performance, actors are dressed up in theatrical costumes and wear masks on the forehead with a piece of black gauze to cover the face. Warriors will wear chicken feather on the head and small flags on the back. The performance is accompanied by orchestral music and percussions, and its storyline is mostly related to historical fictions. The "Living Fossil" of the Opera Art The traditional "Ground Opera" that originated from Ming dynasty has been lost except those kept by the villagers living in "Tun Pu" villages. This is due to the geographical isolation and hence they are able to preserve it. Nowadays t are only a few "Tun Pu" villages left and people living t are in their 22nd generations. They continue to perform Ground Opera during the harvest season and the Chinese New Year as a sign of rich and prosperous life. Ground Opera mask is a popular collected item by art research institutes and museums in many countries, including Britain, United States, France, Germany and Japan. The Mask The focal point of the Ground Opera is the mask. It requires exceptional craftsmanship and years of experience to make an affectionate and vivid mask, in which to reflect the role's character and its represented spirit. Mask Role Masks roles can be classified into 5 categories: 1) Warrier, 2) Officer, 3) Deity / Monk, 4) Clown and 5) Animal. In some cases, special symbols or patterns are carved to indicate the role's unique background, such as dragon, phoenix, tiger, butterfly, etc. For this CUSTOM ORDER Mask: Mask Number: #68Drama Play:The Legend of Yue Fei - Historical novel described the hero Yue Fei in defending Song Dynasty (1127 -1279 BC)Role: Jin Wu Shu - Prince of Jin Kingdom, a good WarriorApprox. Size: 33cm x 20cmMaterial: Solid Aspen Wood About Our Craft Master Our Craft Master Mr. Wu Ku Wei is one of the very few Tun Pu villagers who grow up in the "Ground Opera" family, which has been crafting and performing this art form over the last several generations. Mr. Wu himself has about 20 years of crafting experience and has achieved several awards for his works. He is committed to promote this art form and is working hard to propagate his technique to young Tun Pu villagers (according to the tradition, its knowledge and technique cannot be passed to non Tun Pu villagers). Crafting Time This custom order mask requires approx. 2 - 4 weeks for craving (depending on mask' sophistication and number of orders in queue). You can request it be send by Courier Express with extra fee. Satisfaction Guarantee We know Mr. Wu's craftsmanship is superb and are confident you will like his finished work. As this is a custom ordered item, the finished product will not be identical but is duplicate of the picture as shown. Satisfaction guarantee policy apply. ** COLLECT THESE 70 DIFFERENT ROLES FROM OUR WEBSITE ** #001 #002 #003 #004 #005 #006 #007 #008 #009 #010 #011 #012 #013 #014 #015 #016 #017 #018 #019 #020 #021 #022 #02... read more

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