The sound box of the Yueqin is shaped like a full moon, with a short and small neck. Both the neck and the frame of the sound box are made of padauk. The frame comprises six wooden boards of the same size, and the faceplate and backboard are made of candlenut. The history of the Yueqin can be traced to the Tang Dynasty (618 – 907). During the performance the player held the instrument and played with his/her left hand while playing a plectrum with the other hand. This instrument is primarily used in Peking Opera (Jingju) and Chu Opera (Chuju).
The Siege of Rongyang
Anonymous Late Qing Dynasty (c. mid-19th–early 20th century)
Album, 1 leaf
60 x 60 cm
Jingju (Peking Opera) emerged in Beijing around 1840 and prevailed in the 1930s and 1940s. It is often referred to as‘National Theatre’and is still currently considered a genre of drama exerting great influence in China due to its variety of characters, highly-accomplished performances and tremendous momentum, which is deemed representative of Chinese opera in modern times.
The Siege of Rongyang, a play based on the history of the Western Han Dynasty (3rd century BC), already existed during the reign of Daoguang (1821 – 1850).
In this pictorial album, the artist uses fine brushwork to depict the faces, bodies, costumes and facial expressions of the characters in a meticulously vivid and lively manner.
Prawn mask
Late Qing Dynasty (c. mid-19th–early 20th century)
Length: 40 cm; Width: 19 cm; Height: 34cm
Cardboard-based and pasted with paper, the mask is fashioned with the facial features of a beast, with a prawn-like shape on top, connected to the mask with black satin. Both the beast-like facial mask and the prawn shape are lifelike.
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