Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1997 - 17

Fig. 1 This full stage view shows the straight line of the costumes.

of the ornamentation creates a visual balance
in line.)
The fonn of the costumes is also vel)'
simple. The pattell1 drafts of the basic garments are made of geometric shapes essentially rectangular or trapezoidal. (Fig. 2)
Garments are constructed to maintain the geometry of the pattern pieces, without gathers,
swags or drapery. Garments with more complicated cutting are usually the same basic shapes
embellished by the adelition of flat tabs and
panels, with either straight or curved edges.!
When worn, the form is varied by having the
garments either hang in flat sections from
shoulder to hem, or stretched tightly around
tile body and secured I\~th a sash. The geometric form is reinforced in male dress \\~th the
wearing of the pang ao, or chest and shoulder
pad, which straightens the shape of the shoulder. With the exception of the armor, which
has a \vide padded waistband that stands away
from the warrior's waist, tile shape of the
clothing conforms to the natural body shape.
nlike Westerners, the Chinese did not wear
corsets or skirt shapers and unlike their
1. The movement of the body itself and the body
through space is based on curved lines.
2. The deviation from this flatness is Ihe women's
qllllzi, or skirt, which is pleated.

Fig. 2
This woman's pi, or robe, illustrates the curved
line of the embroidery and the geometric form
of the costume.

Fig. 4
Elaborate hand
embroidery
enriches the
surface of opera
costumes.

Fig. 3
Dragons with
five claws are no
longer reserved
for royalty in
opera dress.

ancestors, tile peIformers do not have bound
feet.' This simplicity of cut also makes it easier
to work with a stock of costumes, as the fit of
each garment to the body is not precise. It is
tllerefore quite possible for a single grument to be
used by 1110st of tile peIfonners tIlat play tllat role
t'fpe, even when males and females altell1ate in a
role, a casting technique that is stiU practiced.
Line and form are the subordinate design
elements, while color and texture carry much
more \~sual impact and meaning. The color of
the garments reveals a complex system for
3. There used 10 be a construction for imitating bound
feel, a Isai chao, bUllhal has fallen iIllo disuse.

projecting the character by indicating sex, age,
occupation, rank, activity and personality.
(Table 1) The meanings assigned to the colors
come (rom several sources, including government eelicts from the Tang (618-907 A.D.) to
the Ming (1368-1644 A.D.) dynasties, Chinese
cultural traditions and from developments in
jingjll itself. In jingjll, the colors are divided
into two groups of five. The top five colors, or
sbang WIl, are red, green, yeUow, white and
black. Xia Wli are tile lower five colors:
purple, blue, pink, nlrquoise and dark crimson. All colors used in tile cosnlIlles fall into
one of these ten categories of color. Blue for
example, comes in a variety of shades and
TD&T

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Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 1997