Chap, xix.] FACE PAINTING. 



423 



The use of paint as an ornament in China and Japan seems 

 to me to be of considerable interest. In both countries the 

 women regularly paint their faces when in full dress, of which 

 the paint is a necessary part. The painting is entirely different 

 in principle from that in vogue in Europe. The paint is not 

 put on with any idea of simulating a beauty of complexion 

 which might be present naturally, or which has been lost by 

 age. The painted face is utterly unlike the appearance of any 

 natural beauty. 



An even layer of white is put on over the whole face and 

 neck, with the exception, in Japan, of two or three angular 

 points of natural brown skin, which are left bare at the back of 

 the neck, as a contrast. After the face is whitened, a dab of red 

 is rubbed in on the cheeks, below each eye. The lips are 

 then coloured pink with magenta, and in Japan this colour is 

 put on so thickly, that it ceases to appear red, but takes on 

 the iridescent metallic green tint of the crystallized aniline 

 colour. 



In modern Japanese picture-books the lips of girls may 

 sometimes be seen to be represented thus green. I suppose 

 the idea is that such thick application of paint shows a meritori- 

 ous disregard of expense. It is curious that the use of aniline 

 colour should have so rapidly spread in China and Japan. In 

 China at least such was not to be expected ; but it seems to 

 have supplanted the old rouge, and it is sold spread on folding 

 cards, with Chinese characters on them, at Canton and in 

 Japan. 



This form of painting the face seems to be exactly of the 

 same nature as savage-painting, and possibly is a direct con- 

 tinuation of it. It is like the painting of our clowns in panto- 

 mimes. In China, the faces of men seem not to be painted at 

 the present time, either on the stage or elsewhere ; but in 

 Japan, actors in certain plays are painted on the face with 

 bright streaks of red paint, put on usually on each side of the 

 eyes. The kind of painting is exactly that of savages. 



It is a curious fact that this form of painting, surviving in 

 adults on the stage, is still used elsewhere for the decoration 

 of young children. It is quite common to see Japanese 

 children on festive occasions, when elaborately dressed by 

 their parents, further adorned with one or two transverse 

 narrow streaks of bright red paint, leading outwards from the 

 outer corners of their eyes, or placed near that position. 



Such a form of painting possibly existed in ancient times in 

 China. When a man of distinction was buried in China in 

 former times, a certain number of servants were buried with 

 him. Now, figures made of pasteboard and paper, about 3 feet 



