Colorful Peking Opera MasksTHE characteristically colorful Peking Opera masks emerged around 1894. A man of the Manchu ethnic group with the last name of Gui, who ardently loved Peking Opera. One day, he saw clay figurines in a temple fair, and at that moment an inspiration came to him to use a puddle to make a face-shaped mold. After making the mold, he dried it in the sun, and drew outlines and colored it according to the facial make-up of Peking Opera actors on the stage. For his creation, Gui became famous among Peking Opera fans in Beijing and was called “Painted face Gui” thereafter.
