Fish Mouth Taoist Chinese mask
Guizhou Province, China
12 inches, painted wood

The Fish Mouth Taoist plays a role in the drama “The Creation of the Gods” - a classical Chinese opera based on myths from the Zhou Dynasty. A striking mask that is rarely seen in the West.

Made under the direction of Wu Ku Wei, a Tun Pu villager who grow up in the classic opera tradition. “Tun Pu” means military barracks and these villages are scattered in mountainous Southwest China, mainly Guizhou Province. These Tu Pu villages were created in the Ming dynasty for the purpose of defending the country. Nowadays there are only a few left and the people living there are in their 22nd generation. Mr. Wu has about 20 years of crafting experience and has achieved several awards for his works.

These old operas are mainly performed during the harvest season and the Chinese New Year. During the performance, actors are dressed up in theatrical costumes and wear masks. The performance is accompanied by orchestral music and percussions, and its storyline is mostly related to historical fictions. There are many different stories, and the masks for at least 70 different characters are still being made today.

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