Folk mask

Author: Yang Jixing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-09-01
Features: The mask forms introduced and selected in Folk Masks are only a side of the story. To showcase the development of mask culture, we have arranged them in a sequence such as shamanic masks, Nuo masks, and opera face paintings. The publication of Folk Masks itself is a product of the "Rescue Project for Chinese Folk Cultural Heritage" initiated by the China Folklore Society. In the book, we particularly showcase the rescue and discovery of shamanic masks and mythology by scholars in Jilin. The introductions to other masks also focus on the ongoing research, inheritance, and innovation by members of local folk art associations and the China Folklore Society. Masks are remnants of primitive artistic culture, embodying a profound aesthetic style and spirit in their naive, crude, exaggerated, distorted, grotesque, humorous, sacred, and fierce qualities. They are truly awe-inspiring and astonishing.