A study on the communication of stage costume-Focusing on Peking Opera of China-

무대의상의 의미전달에 관한 연구-중국 경처(Peking Opera)을 중심으로-

The purpose of this study is to figure out how stage costume of Peking Opera communicates what the character wants to inform to spectator. The stage costume means the clothing, shoes, headdress, accessory that the cast is worn for communicating personality of character. Stage costume not only reveals the character of new spirit who the director and the work is like to create, but also makes the style of play harmonizing with the atmosphere of the work. So, the stage costume in the play is a sort of symbol system that forms the depth of play. The stage costume of Peking Opera was formed on the basis of the Chinese traditional stage costume in the Qing period, however the style of stage costume was beautified the costume of Ming period and here contained the factors of successive costumes. But the stage costume of Peking Opera don't have the same rank system with real history costume and don't have demarcation according to period and history. Only it is that transformed and created the real history costume with Chinese fine view and made how they wear Chinese fine view and made how they wear the costume according to position, age, personality of character in the play. In the stage costume of Peking Opera, the color is cultural language that director can communicate to spectators and can inform spectator of sex, age, personality, position of the character. The color of the stage costume of Peking Opera reflects the principles of Yin and Yang and the five elements of the Chinese cosmogony. The pattern of decoration also makes the personality and characteristic of the character. The dragon pattern symbols the authority and majesty, so only the character of high position can use it. The pattern of tiger and leopard symbols bravery, so the military officer can use it. Civil officer decorates with the pattern of Japanese apricot, orchid, chrysanthmum, bamboo that symbols integrity and honor. The stage costume of Peking Opera communicates the identity of character with the special form of costume. Kanjien is a costume of the young priestess, Houyi is the Sunwukong'costume. Chayi is a costume of boatman. Lingzi, Sweixiu, Kaoqi is the props for the foramtive effect of stage costume, also they play an important part in expressing the emotion situation. In the result of study, we could know that the form, color, pattern of the stage costume and props of Peking Opera play important parts in communicating informations that let spectator can understand the play. So, the stage costume of Peking Opera is an‘picturizing costume’that the form, color, pattern of the stage costume is a sort of symbol system. It makes spectator feels actually the viewing Peking Opera.