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Shehuo, originally a ceremony to honor gods and spirits from heaven and earth, gradually developed to a festive occasion to celebrate and pray for harvest in its long evolutionary process.

Horse ladles are everyday outfits in West China inherited early from the Shang and Zhou dynasties. Fine wood from phoenix tree, Chinese toon or peach tree is usually chosen as the raw material, from which horse ladles are delicately carved. These handmade daily appliances can still be found in some areas of West China.

The facial make-ups originated from the tattoo tradition of the ancient people. The tradition developed into face painting during the Xia and Shang dynasties (About 2100-1100BC) with the same purpose of driving away the demons. People at the time believed that the wizards with painted faces were endowed with the magic power to talk to God. The tattoo and face painting traditions are the predecessors of facial make-ups.

Therefore, the horse ladle facial make-ups used in Shehuo in some way passed on the 5,000-year Chinese civilization by recording the ancient folk customs.

Folk artists with solid painting skills mostly paint the modern horse ladle facial make-ups. Multi-layer patterns and the unique West China feature of using bright colors usually characterize the artworks. The steady style, uncouth sculpt, intense colors, simple yet delicate paintings, and bold, pure, fresh, free and exaggerated style can be found from all the original works, demonstrating the rich imagination and wisdom of the working people. The works are mostly paintings of righteous figures who are said to have magic powers in folktales or legends, such as Fengshenbang. Besides its original purpose of warding off evil, the artwork also holds high aesthetic values.

 West Chamber Shehuo

Baoji Region of Shaanxi Province, which is customarily known as West Chamber, boasts one of the most representative Shehuo art form in China. The Shehuo facial make-ups in Baoji and Longxian counties are specially known for their fancy molds, bright colors and varied patterns, representing the highest level in the region.