Comparative Study On The Design Of North And South Lion Dance Masks

Lion culture plays an important role in Chinese culture,in the context of which the folk lion dance was born.Lion dance is a traditional folk custom in China.Influenced by the regional environment and social culture,it has gradually formed two schools—the North Lion Dance and South lion.Lion dance masks,as the material carrier of lion dance activities,have formed two styles as well.The major production process of lion dance masks is rolling technique.And numbered are the lion dance masks based on paper and plastic.By taking the most representative paper-plastic lion dance masks in North and South China—the lion dance masks in Pizhou and in Jieyang as examples,this paper comprehensively explores the inevitable relationships between such factors as folk culture,performance procedures and production process and the lion dance masks in both places from a multidimensional perspective,which then analyzes the reasons for the differences.As the epitome of social material life,lion dance masks mainly reflect the social folklore,regional culture and the local people’s aesthetic orientation in Pizhou and Jieyang.Based on development of different cultures,the similarities and differences between Pizhou lion dance masks and Jieyang green lion masks have formed a creation with typical regional and folklore characteristics.This paper combs the social situations for producing of Pizhou lion dance masks and Jieyang green lion masks in a empirical way.By means of quantitative analysis,interdisciplinary marginal integration and comparative research,it analyzes the morphological features,performing methods and cultural implications of the Pizhou lion dance masks and the Jieyang green lion mask from a perspective of design,which later reveals the differences between the Pizhou lion dance masks and the Jieyang green lion masks are influenced by the regional environment,performance procedures and the multi-culture.And it also innovatively associates the lion dancers with the internal environment and entertainment arena of the North and South lion dance masks,and integratedly compares the designs of Pizhou lion dance masks and Jieyang green lion masks.It aims to explore the motivations of lion dancers’ requirement and psychological needs which might be hidden behind the lion dance masks.As has been studied of Pizhou lion dance masks and Jieyang green lion masks,this paper puts forward the living protection strategies of North and South lion dance masks.Furthermore by combining the theoretical method with the practical scheme,this paper clarifies the development and inheritance of Pizhou lion dance masks and Jieyang green lion masks,which helps the protection and promotion of other folk arts.In conclusion,the comparison between Pizhou lion masks and Jieyagn lion dance masks explains the lion culture in North and South China best.This paper concludes that the differences between the North and South lion dance masks are not only influenced by the aesthetic orientation and social fashion in both places,but also better serves the lion dancers’ performance requirement.By seeking the multi-dimensional sources of the differences between the North and South lion dance masks,the protection of the North and South lion dance culture can be promoted,and the development of the lion dance masks in modern society can be probed,so as to provide a new option for the development of folk art.