The earliest traces of Chinese folk masks, dating back to the prehistoric age, have been found in the rock paintings in Mt Huashan of Ningming County, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, and Mt Yinshan of Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. Besides, human imagery wearing masks was often the subject for archaic earthen and mural decorations.
In the primitive societies, the early forms of masking were usually connected with magic practices, totem worship, music and dance. For instance, as a rite to drive away pestilence in the 12th month of the ancient lunar calendar, the exorcising dance with wooden masks appeared in the late Shang Dynasty (c. 21 st-11 th century BC)； exorcising activities were prevailing and even became institutionalized during the following Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century-256 BC), with Fangxiangshi as the chief exorcist. |
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