TITLE: Kwan Kung Lion Dance Mask and Costume
TYPE: helmet mask; costume
GENERAL REGION: Asia
COUNTRY: China
SUBREGION: Hong Kong
ETHNICITY: Han
DESCRIPTION: Kwan Kung Lion Dance mask and costume
CATALOG ID: ASCN019
MAKER: Wong Kai (Hong Kong, 1928- )
CEREMONY: Lunar New Year
FUNCTION: Celebration; Entertainment; Protection/Purification
AGE: 2005
MAIN MATERIAL: reinforced paper
OTHER MATERIALS: bamboo; paint; cotton matte; horse hair; rabbit fur; adhesive ; steel rivets; silk balls; dyed string; dyed cotton cloth; hardware; dyed polyester cloth; stitching; steel springs; paint
The Chinese celebrate the lunar new year with lion dances, parades, and fireworks throughout the country. Normally, the celebration begins on new year’s eve and lasts 15 days, and it provides an opportunity for entertainment, family reunion, honoring ancestors, and planning for the coming year. In the parade, armies of “big-headed Buddhas” clad in traditional silk costumes (or their modern polyester equivalents) follow the lion dancers. They cavort for the entertainment of the audience and to bring good fortune in the coming year. The lion dance and dragon dances are the main events. The lion dance is highly acrobatic and bestows blessings on everyone present. The dragon dance is essentially a dance of giant puppetry. In modern Hong Kong, this is the largest festival of the year, and includes floats and decorations throughout the city.
Different protector lions take different forms. This mask and costume represent Kwan Kung (the red lion) and were used by the Fat Keung Sports Association for nearly twenty years. It was acquired thanks to a generous gift from the Association.
