These Opera paper dolls in fine casket, called “SHAGE,” (pronounced as in “Shagger”) belong to a folk art that was once popular in central Shanxi Province during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368—1911). It boasts of vivid opera figurines made of straw, mud and paper. The figurines or dolls (“XIREN” pronounced as in “See-run” means “opera actors”) are placed in a wood box or casket (“GE”), each box - “GE” - displays one play “XI” of the traditional Chinese opera, with high entertainment value. In the old times, people in Pingyao County used to show the “SHAGE” at county fairs during lantern festival or at funerals. Xu Liting, a local paper craftsman, was famous for his expertise in traditional opera. His paper workshop called Liuhezhai (the House of Six Harmonies) produced in 1906 a series of 36 boxes of play for the City Hall, which was deemed the best example of his work, at a cost of 1000 wen each. Here the remaining 28 genuine SHAGE of craftsman Xu’s most representative work are the only ones preserved till our time. These art crafts possess lively attitude, with exceptional vivid color, beautiful and refined costume, painted face and prop.
These rare Pingyao SHAGE, now classified as valuable antique under Class-1 State protection, represent a unique documentary material indispensable for the study of Chinese traditional opera and folk art.
The making of these SHAGE is of a rather complex process. First it is necessary to build the structure of the figurines: using materials such as wood, bamboo, straw and strings. These are bound together using paper pulp and fastened with strings to form the desired shape and attitude of the figurine. The structure sometimes exaggerated but always proportionate reflects the corpulent or skinny figure of each character, and according to the main or secondary roles. The next stage involves placement of the heads and hands, and the costumes.
The making of the heads calls for a mixture of clay with rough paper, to form the plaster for the casting of various heads. The moulds come in two parts: one for the face, and one for the back of the head. The thin sheet of clay plaster is laid inside the moulds and pressed hard with the thumb to solidify it. The facial part and the back part of the head are then glued together with clay. After drying, the craftsman will carve out carefully the eyes and the mouth to perfect the expression. The clay hands and feet are made into expressive shape by hand. Emphasis is put on the fingers to express emotion or feelings.
Applying colors is an elaborate procedure. Instead of oil paint, mineral pigments are used here, with white powder as foundation. Adding pink colorant to specify women characters and various painted patterns to represent the faces of comic characters, villains or heroes. Eyebrows are painted in black ink. To achieve a glossy effect, layers of liquid cement and egg-based tempera paint are applied to the face. When dry, the face becomes glossy through silk cloth polishing. Such colors are supposed to last a long time without oxidizing.
The final stage centers on costume and headgear. The figurine has to put on the underwear first, before the proper external coat. All dresses are made of colored rice-paper; the dressing involves water spray to produce pleats and folds. To distinguish the main characters and their roles, golden and silver patterns are added on. Paper cuts and color paints are then used to complete the designs. The combatant generals’ armor is made of gold or silver paper topped with leaf-lined color paper cuts. Headgear for male and female characters is the most intricate. Sometimes cardboard paper is used to form the hat shape, which is painted and completed with gold or silver glazing. Ornamental balls and tassels are then attached, forming delicate headgear that looks as true as the actual one.
The work is not done without creating the décor based on the scenes of the opera play. In the end all the combined elements
by Jiang Jian
