Mashao Facial Makeup In Baoji Area Of Shaanxi Province Art Research

Various and abundant plants and resources in Baoji Shaanxi have provided much convenience to residents who live on farming in this area. Wooden Mashao, which is a wooden spoon for horse feeding, is a necessity in every household. Locals carve or paint opera masks on spoons, hang them up so as to avoid evil and deprive filth. Mashao opera masks is a characteristic art form in Baoji, Shaanxi, which represents the local culture among China’s traditional folk customs and is inseparable with people’s beliefs in customs.Mainly symbolized by Tunkou (a representation of evil spirits swallowing disasters for the purpose of home protection):wood carving silimilar to Greek Xaona, Mashao m asks derived from Chiyou masks, embracing bronze ornament an d Shehuo masks, stripes on bronze works and Shehuo Opera Masks through its development and evolvement. This has turned Mashao Opera Masks into a folk artistic work with unique meanings. The successors of Mashao Opera Masks handcrafters have integrated Mashao art and Shehuo Masks through their making and creating process with the help of Shehuo art materials. A new folk art work has come into being-Shehuo Mashao Opera Masks. An analysis on how Mashao Opera masks gradually derive their value in arts and folk culture.Mashao Opera Mask is colour contrasting with pictures of good fortune and bold, vivid shapes. It fully reveals the locals’comprehension of beauty. This research will aim at the making process of Mashao Opera Masks, interviews with handcraf ters to deepen the understanding of Mashao Opera Mask art and systematically illustrate its cultural backgrounds, artistic natures and inheriting approaches. It will artistically and folksily explore and investigate on the transformations of Mashao Opera Mask art in Baoji Shaanxi to search the artistic and folksy values in culture vicissitude process which is due to the global modern media development. This essay will summarize the transforming process of Mashao Opera Masks concerning the changing of modern media, economics, culture and art to conclude the changing pattern of folk art. The understanding of Mashao Opera Masks should be beyond sole inheriting. It should accommodate with the global development and encourage the creation of more folk art handcrafts which are to public’s satisfactory.