Historical Research, Analysis, Conservation of a Cantonese Opera Costume Faan Gung Zong
Yiqian Yao
Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
About this Item
- Title
- Historical Research, Analysis, Conservation of a Cantonese Opera Costume Faan Gung Zong
- Contributor Names
-
Yao, Yiqian (Author)
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Trupin, Deborah (Thesis advisor)
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Taylor, Zoe (Thesis advisor)
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Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York. Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice (Degree granting institution)
- Date
- 2025
- Degree Information
- M.A. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York 2025
- Department: Fashion and Textile Studies: History, Theory, Museum Practice
- Advisor: Deborah L Trupin, Zoe Taylor
- Committee Members: Hilary Davidson, Brooke Carlson
- Abstract
-
This qualifying paper explores the historical context and conservation of a Cantonese opera costume known as Faan Gung Zong, provided by the Museum of Chinese in America (MOCA) and donated to MOCA by the Chinese Musical and Theatrical Association (CMTA). Originally used in the play Tin Gei Sung Zi, the costume demonstrates a unique instant transforming visual effect. It features regional craftsmanship, including intricate Cantonese embroidery and decorations of metal discs and mirrors. The object is dated to c. 1910–1930 based on the decoration style, materials, and the presence of Chinese opera in the United States. This study analyzes the costume within early twentieth-century Guangdong’s export economy and the cultural life of Cantonese opera troupes in North America.
Following a condition assessment, the conservation treatment focuses on dye stain reduction methods. Orvus solution, ethanol, and acetic acid were found to lighten the stains but could not completely reduce them. This study aims to preserve both the physical object and its cultural significance. - Keyword
- Cantonese opera costume
- Chinese American
- Chinese opera
- Faan Gung Zong
- Museum collections
- Textile conservation
- Rights
- In Copyright
- The copyright for this work is held by its author/creator(s). Usage of this material beyond what is permitted by copyright law must first be cleared with the rights-holder(s). This work has been made available online by the Fashion Institute of Technology Gladys Marcus Library strictly for research and educational purposes. If you are the copyright holder for this work and have any objections to this work being made available online, please notify us immediately at [email protected].
- Identifier
- FIT Repository ID: etd_001037
- ISBN: 9798280711112
- Publication Number: 32042736
- Submission ID: 10466
- Language
- English
- Publisher
- Ann Arbor : ProQuest Dissertations & Theses
Citation
Yao, Y. (2025). Historical Research, Analysis, Conservation of a Cantonese Opera Costume Faan Gung Zong [Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York]. FIT Institutional Repository. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/634930
Yao, Yiqian. Historical Research, Analysis, Conservation of a Cantonese Opera Costume Faan Gung Zong. 2025. Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, Master's thesis. FIT Digital Repository, https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/634930
Yao, Yiqian. "Historical Research, Analysis, Conservation of a Cantonese Opera Costume Faan Gung Zong." Master's thesis, Fashion Institute of Technology, State University of New York, 2025. https://institutionalrepository.fitnyc.edu/item/634930