Originated from the Ming Dynasty 600 Years Ago 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 Costumes + 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 there are only a few "Tun Pu" villages left and people living there 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 carve 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 five types: 1) Warrior, 2) Officer, 3) Deity / Monk, 4) Clown and 5) Animal. In some cases, special symbols or patterns are carved to indicate roles’ unique background, such as dragon, phoenix, tiger, butterfly, etc.
For this CUSTOM ORDER Mask
Mask Number: #68 Drama 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 Warrior Approx. Size: 33cm x 20cm Material: Solid Aspen Wood Condition: Brand New
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 sent via 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 the duplicate of the picture as shown. Satisfaction guarantee policy applies.
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We are master graduated couple from University of London who have been fascinated by the richness and uniqueness of ethnic art & crafts. One of us comes from the Southwest China while the other has been living in Europe, North America, Hong Kong and China. We are proud of and believe it is meaningful to help ethnic people to preserve their culture and to promote their handicrafts. These people are friendly, have passion for life and are very talented - as reflected from these lovely artworks! Many of these artworks are sold in boutiques shops / high end department stores in London, New York, Toronto and Tokyo at premium price. By leveraging the internet, we are able to bring them to you at a more reasonable price, making it win-win-win for you, us and ethnic people!
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