The masks of Qinghai

Tibetan drama masks

As shown in the culturology, Tibetan drama originates from Qiang Mu. In history, Gelug, Nyingma, Kagyu and Sakya sects integrated some popular stories, dances and ballad literature of the folks and sutras to shape today’s Tibetan drama of rich and unique ethnic and regional features, in order to enlighten more people with their Buddhism doctrines. As the Tibetan drama keeps improving, Tibetan drama masks have become a major pattern in Tibetan drama stage art. In Tibet, there emerged the schools of white masks and blue masks. In Qinghai, the Anduo Tibetan drama has turned into a major school of the Tibetan drama, as it was heavily influenced by the latter in history. Therefore, Tibetan drama masks present unique and diversified styles to become an important symbol of various schools of Tibetan drama in Qinghai.

As indicated in surveys, Qinghai Tibetan drama masks are largely separated in Langjia Temple of Tongren County, Deqian Temple of Jianzha County, Huangnan Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture; and Zhugu Temple of Menyuan County, Haibei Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture. The first is known as Regong Tibetan drama, while the latter is called Huare Tibetan drama. The Gesar masks from Longen Temple, Gande County, Guoluo Prefecture are used both as Tibetan drama masks and Qiang Mu dances.

Door curtain-style masks: They are also known as window curtain-style masks. The masks are produced with a plain cloth, leaving a hole scissored for the eyes (for the line of sight). Other parts are painted with patterns. When in performance, the masks are hanged upon the face to replace facial-paintings in traditional drama preparation. Such masks are largely used in the Huare Tibetan drama at Zhugu Temple, Menyuan County, Haibei Prefecture. (The mask has been proven lost in the survey.) Although they are simply processed, the door curtain-style masks stress depicting the facial expression features of the roles. They apply abstract and ever-changing lines and symbolic colors to disclose the identities, positions, characters and emotional features of the roles in the dramas. They are a mask pattern in Qinghai Tibetan drama that are processed flexibly and conveniently.

Kenao masks: They are an integration of helmets and masks, largely processed with clay sculpture as the mould, along with paper pulp and wax cloth. Such masks are popular in temples in the Tibetan areas of Qinghai. The Huangnan Tibetan drama that does not apply masks in performances would adopt Kenao masks on occassions for the benefit of the drama plot. For example, in the traditional Tibetan drama play, A De La Mao, Gesar wins the horse race and is enthroned. Later, a grand ceremony is held celebrating the defeat of Huo’er. On these occasions, the masks for the demons and divine dances follow the Kenao style. It is also true with the masks for tigers, leopards, jackals and bears in the Celestial Burial scene of the traditional Tibetan drama Sucinima.

Kenao masks sometimes also follow the masks and Kenao patterns of traditional Chinese drama stage art. The masks, Kenao and helmets are integrated to look similar to the tiger-shaped head decoration in Wu Song, a traditional play. The masks in Gongbao Duoji Listen to Preaching, a traditional Tibetan drama, largely adopt the pattern. They look like the masks of the Han nationality in the Central Plain, featuring kind countenance and mild colors.

Tibetan mask specifications and production crafts

Qiang Mu and Tibetan drama follow some patterns in using masks. Since Tibetan people are all Buddhism followers, showing infinite piety to Buddhas, the facial makeup imitating Buddhas are not simply objects. They remain Buddhist idols, such as Dharmaraja, protective divinities and thunderbolts. Therefore, homage to masks is actually respect to the deities. In particular, the facial makeup of the angry-looking type and fierce-looking type are esteemed, because they are powerful enough to deter evil spirits. Each time to fetch the masks for Qiang Mu and Tibetan drama performances, people would first recite sutras. When the performances are ended, they would recite sutras before putting the masks back to cases or hanging them on walls. This is a ritual that must be followed to fetch masks in all temples of Tibetan Buddhism.

Qinghai Tibetan masks are sculpted under rigid formats. Qiang Mu and Tibetan drama characters are largely introduced from Buddhims stories. The facial makeup are generally made to follow the original versions in Image Measurement Scripture, Notes to Buddha on Image Measurement Scripture, Painting Measurement Scripture, Painting Treasure, and Origins of Craftsmanship. They are mainly produced by temple lama artisans and folk craftsmen, including some with superior skills. For example, Jiancuo, a master of art from Regong, Tongren County, is a best to produce solid pullover masks, famous in the Tibetan areas.

Although Tibetan masks follow the Image Measurement Scripture in the Buddhism sutras, the temples might vary in exact moulds of the facial makeup. The differences originate from how the craftsmen understand Buddha statues and their actual skills in productions. As a result, the facial makeup art shows extraordinary splendor.

In the early years, rough blank masks were made of red earth, paper pulp, gesso, white cloth, paper, and paste. They were smeared two to third times, and finally brushed with tung oil and lacquer for two times. Along with process of the time, the materials and processing technologies are upgraded. Loose clay and marble of fit sizes are adopted to have a rough mask engraved. After that, thin cloth are torn into small pieces to be pasted on the mould for many layers with the help of bone glues and facial glues, till they reach considerable thickness. When the cloth embryos are dried, chop the surface smooth with a sharp knife, and daub concentrated “clay paste” upon the cloth embryo (smear after it is dried for many rounds). When the mire is dried, come to the He Zuo Da Er working procedure (first rub it smooth with coarse and fine emergy cloths, and then polish it slowly with millstone). Fix up the interior of the mask with thin bamboo strips and rubber colts. In the end, paint it with colors, brush lacquer upon the colors, finalize the design, and decorate it with all sorts of ornaments. Leading deity masks may be extended in sizes along to the positions of the deities and respects from the people. The bigger ones may reach several feet in length.