Cantonese Opera Hat Item Number: N1.781 from the MOA: University of British Columbia
Description
A folded diamond-shaped opera hat for a guard character that has peony, and longevity motifs. The peony motifs are blue, and white around the lower portion. The upper portion is black. The entire hat has an overall yellow background. There is a beige pom-pom at the top. There are ties. Has a cotton lining.
History Of Use
Headdresses, such as this example, were designed soft and foldable for travel and made of flexible materials such as silk, cotton, hemp, paper, and bamboo.
Cultural Context
theatre
Iconographic Meaning
The Chinese character represents long life.
Specific Techniques
All visible stitching was done by machine. Layer of heavy paper(?) pasted between two layers of fabric. Outer layer was embroidered. Ball attached to top was stuffed with dense fibre.
Narrative
A large group of Cantonese opera costumes, musical instruments, props, trunks, and stage fittings was left with the Jin Wah Sing Musical Association, apparently by some of the many itinerant troupes visiting Vancouver to perform in the Chinatown theatres in the pre-World War II period. There is no certain knowledge of why these materials were not taken back to China by them. They were used by the Jin Wah Sing Musical Association in their performances until they became too dated. The association continued to preserve them carefully, storing them in their headquarters and in the basement of the Chinese Freemasons building until several groups of materials were sold and donated to the Museum of Anthropology.
Item History
- Made in Guangzhou, Guangdong, China ? during 1920
- Collected in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Owned by Jin Wah Sing Musical Association before August 28, 1973
- Received from Barrett Montford Endowment Fund (Funding source), Jin Wah Sing Musical Association (Seller), Leon & Thea Koerner Foundation (Funding source), Museum of Anthropology Donations Fund (Funding source), Mah Society of North America (Funding source), Canada-China Friendship Association (Funding source), Quon H. Wong Agencies (Funding source) and Edith Low-Beer (Funding source) on August 28, 1973
What
- Name
- Cantonese Opera Hat
- Identification Number
- N1.781
- Type of Item
- hat
- Material
- silk fibre, cotton fibre, hemp fibre ?, paper, paste adhesive and dye
- Manufacturing Technique
- spun, woven, dyed, cut, embroidered, stuffed, braided, sewn and pasted
- Overall
- height 43.0 cm, width 15.5 cm, depth 7.2 cm
Who
- Culture
- Chinese: Cantonese
- Previous Owner
- Jin Wah Sing Musical Association
- Received from
- Barrett Montford Endowment Fund (Funding source), Jin Wah Sing Musical Association (Seller), Leon & Thea Koerner Foundation (Funding source), Museum of Anthropology Donations Fund (Funding source), Mah Society of North America (Funding source), Canada-China Friendship Association (Funding source), Quon H. Wong Agencies (Funding source) and Edith Low-Beer (Funding source)
Where
- Holding Institution
- MOA: University of British Columbia
- Made in
- Guangzhou, Guangdong, China ?
- Collected in
- Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
When
- Creation Date
- during 1920
- Ownership Date
- before August 28, 1973
- Acquisition Date
- on August 28, 1973
Other
- Item Classes
- textiles
- Condition
- fair
- Accession Number
- 0248/0166