Rare antique mask of the esoteric Nuo theater, depicting the character of Guanyu, a general serving under the warlord Liu Bei in the late Eastern Han Dynasty of China, with a severe face, wearing a helmet. The mask is made of wood, with traces of the original polychrome painting under a layer of soot. China, Qing dynasty, 18th/ 19th century. Height: 29.3 cm. A few accidents on top and bottm of the mask, nose partly chipped, otherwise good condition. NOTE : Nuo theater or opera is one of the oldest continuously performed theatrical traditions in the world. It is performed by volunteers in villages across China, primarily in rural areas, at specific times of the year tied to the agricultural calendar. It is not performed for entertainment, or not primarily for entertainment. It is performed to expel malevolent spirits, to propitiate the gods, to ensure that the coming season will bring health and fertility and freedom from disaster. The actors are mediums. The masks are the faces of the deities they channel. The stage is a sacred space temporarily demarcated from the profane world around it. The masks represent several categories of divine and heroic figures. The most common are the Shenjiang (神将) — divine generals — fierce-faced warrior deities who are the protagonists of most Nuo plays, driving out demons and establishing protective boundaries around the community. Other common mask types include the Gongzhu — princess figures — who appear in more narrative-driven plays, and various historical or legendary figures (Guan Yu, the general; Mazu, the sea goddess; the Monkey King, Sun Wukong) who have been absorbed into the local Nuo tradition and given masks appropriate to their character.