100 Peking Opera Portraits

Sometimes when browsing various websites, one comes across beauty that must be shared.

While perusing the Metropolitan Museum of Art website, I stumbled upon “One hundred portraits of Peking opera characters by Unidentified Artist.”

The costumes, masks, and poses are fascinating.  What wonderful fabrics and textures and amazing details!

I’ve chosen a few of my favorites to share here.  If you have a few spare moments, please click the link to see all 101 of these beautiful portraits.  Enjoy!

Now I’m left wondering what the story behind all these characters could be —

 

One hundred portraits of Peking opera characters Unidentified Artist Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911) Date: late 19th–early 20th century Culture: China Medium: Album of fifty leaves; ink, color, and gold on silk

 

One hundred portraits of Peking opera characters Unidentified Artist Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911) Date: late 19th–early 20th century Culture: China Medium: Album of fifty leaves; ink, color, and gold on silk

 

One hundred portraits of Peking opera characters Unidentified Artist Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911) Date: late 19th–early 20th century Culture: China Medium: Album of fifty leaves; ink, color, and gold on silk

 

One hundred portraits of Peking opera characters Unidentified Artist Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911) Date: late 19th–early 20th century Culture: China Medium: Album of fifty leaves; ink, color, and gold on silk

Period: Qing dynasty (1644–1911) Date: late 19th–early 20th century Culture: China Medium: Album of fifty leaves; ink, color, and gold on silk