ABSTRACT
An elaborate system of telegraphing character through the visual image has developed for modern Jingju costumes that utilizes prescribed garments with specific symbolism in color and decoration. The characters in traditional Jingju are divided into four major role types: sheng (standard male), dan (female), jing (painted-face or formidable male), and chou (clown).. There are six pairs of identifying characteristics projected by traditional Jingju costumes: male/female, youth/age, upper/lower status, rich/poor, military/civilian, and Han/minority. Most costumes utilized in traditional Jingju are based on the Han styles that prevailed even into the Manchu rule of the Qing dynasty. Though the imperial courts recognized the significance of dynastic visual identity, traditional Jingju clothing has bypassed this distinction in historical dress. The population of China has 56 ethnic groups, each with a distinctive fashion of dress, but the range of regional distinctions does not appear onstage in the traditional Jingju.
