ID Number

Title

Item Name

Culture

Material

Manufacturing Technique

Date Made

Maker

Place Made

Place Collected

Date Owned

Owner

Acquisition Date

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Source

Measurements

Item Classes

Condition

Accession Number

Cultural Context

theatre

History Of Use

Cantonese opera costume (informal military robe), worn by man.

Iconographic Meaning

The fact that this costume was worn by a military character and role type in indicated by the tight sleeves and the slits at front and back.

Description

Blue robe with a round neck, tapered sleeves with hoof cuffs and a side opening with brass frog closures. There are slits in the centre front and back. The collar border has a gold peony motif on a red ground, edged with gold braid and pink trim. The cuffs have gold braid outside and black cotton lining inside. The robe lining is natural-coloured linen.

Specific Techniques

All visible seams are hand-sewn. Band of pink floral-patterned braid is machine-woven.

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.