Peking opera face painting
The painted faces of Peking opera, where colours and patterns show a character's nature.
Also: lianpu, jingju face
In Peking opera the jing, painted-face roles, wear full-face designs called lianpu. Colours follow conventions: red for loyalty and courage, as for the general Guan Yu; black for integrity and directness, as for the judge Bao Zheng; white for cunning, as for Cao Cao; blue for fierceness; gold and silver for gods and spirits. Hundreds of set designs exist. Peking opera took shape in Beijing from the late eighteenth century.