Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1997 - 18

Fig. 5 A

female performer wearing the
phoenix headdress with pearls, filigree and
tasseled decorations

tints, but all fall into the blue category. The
yellow designation includes various hues from
a greenish yellow to orange. Each color category represents certain personality traits.
Some can indicate rank or other special meanings relating to Chinese culnlre.
It is clear from the definitions in table 1
that some colors carry both a variety and a
conflicting range of meanings. The differences
can be attributed to some extent to the divel~
sity of points of view of the artists involved and
the multiple sources. In these cases, the discrepancy .of color meanings can be further
clarified by context in the play and other elements in the costume. In addition, Ule upper
and lower color systems are somewhat parallel.
The bottom colors represent less intense versions
of tlle personality trailS assigned to tlle upper colors. If two characters of Ule sanle role \\~Ul sinlilar dispositions are to appear onstage at Ule same
time, Ulen tlle dominant character wOldd be assigned tlle upper color and tlle secondary one
would be attired in tlle parallel lower color. Red,
the upper color, is parallel with purple in the
lower group and as are upper green and lower
blue. (Zhao, April 14)
In some roles, a color range is assigned
to a character, in other instances a specific
color is required. For example, the typical
young male scholar wears a range of pastel
colors to show his refined and sensitive narure. Within this role type, Ulere are examples
where a designated color is needed to telegraph a certain personality trail to the audience. Lu Bu, in General LII BII and Beall()'
Diao Cben, is a young scholar who wears pastel pink marking him as a ladies' man. (Fig. 6)
The use of pink for a young man is a theatrical
invention and does not appear in imperial
16

ALL

TD&T

Color
Red

UPPER FIVE COLORS (SHANG WU)
Personality
Rank
honorable, respectable, good character first through fourth

Green

high virtue, upright, honest, bitter

Yellow

wisdom, cleverness

White

youth or age

mourning

Black

straightforward, fierce, brave, honest lower ranks
for women-virtue, modesty in distress informal

ghosts

Personality

Other
happiness, weddings

emperor, imperial family
and serva nts

LOWER FIVE COLORS (XIA WU)
Rank
first through fourth

Color
Purple

age

Blue

virtuous, kind

Pink

youth, ladies' man, poor health

Turquoise

youth or jealousy

Other
for elderly

fifth through seventh

Dark Crimson old officials, usurpers, barbarians
...
Table 1 A complex system of colors IS used In JlngJU to deSignate characters' personality traIts,
social status, age, gender; etc.

Fig.7
Judge Baa is
dressed in black
because of his
straightforward
nature.

Fig.8
The kuanyi is a
court garment
which indicates
the wearer's
rank through
color and the
image on the
embroidered
square. (see also
Table 2)

Fig. 6
Lu Bu wears a pink mang, or
robe, which designates him
as a ladies' man.

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