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Development of Kabuki Costuming

          Kabuki costumes are made to be the focal point for the play.   Kabuki actors were responsible for providing their own costumes.  Once they became too elaborate, the actors began to demand the purchase of their costumes from the royalty.  (Brandon, Malm, & Shively, 1978, 44.)  Over history these costumes have not changed.  In this day and age, there is a little latitude on colors and patterns, but not on the style of the costumes.  (Scott, 1955, 155.)

  Onnagata playing a young girl Sukeroku- a young rake

          The upper and lower parts of the kimono are in two separate pieces concealed by a wide sash for easy costume changes on stage.  When a performer changes on stage, the costume color may change and design may change, but the pattern on the material does not change.  The consistency of the pattern is indicitive of Kabuki theatre; as a major portion of Kabuki is constant awareness of the actor.  This never changing pattern is a constant reminder to the audience that the actor is the same.  To change the costume strings are pulled from the kimono to reverse the outfit.  This technique is known as hikinuki.  (Gunji, 1987, 42-43.)   Henge, a transformation, occurs when a new costume and wig are used to totally alter the visual representation of his character.   (Araki, 1964, 40.)

Traditional kata of dressing major kabuki characters makes them readily identifiable.   Also, types of characters: white robed monks, a “red princess”, a tattooed thief elaborately costumed courtesans walking on high black clogs, a black-hatted court noble are identifiable by the distinctive garb of their class.  (Brandon, Malm, & Shively, 1978, 109.)  A housewife would never wear bold patterns as bold patterns usually symbolize a courtesan.  (Scott, 1955, 137)

Kabuki Makeup

Kabuki makeup is often considered a mask painted onto the actors face.  Kabuki makeup is known as kumadori, which involves bold lines in red and blue painted on the face.  The red lines are associated with virtue or strength, while the blue lines are associated with evil.   Ghost and certain animal roles also involve kumadori makeup. (Gunji, 1987, 39.)  The kumadori is used to not disguise emotions, but to heighten the expression of the actors.   The makeup is applied to follow the natural musculature of the face to show expression with great clarity and force.  (Brandon, Malm, & Shively, 1978, 69.)  Twenty-seven known types of kumadori exist.  (p. 109.)

When putting the makeup on, the actor puts on a silk cap that fits tightly around the forehead.  This is both the foundation for the wig, as well as a way to hide the hair and smooth down the forehead.  The foundation is made of oil and this covers the face, neck and front of the silk cap.  Next a white matte makeup is applied to cause a smooth surface.  Once the white cream makeup is applied, the actor draws the eyebrows and lips with the color design for his character.  (Scott, 1955, 124)

A courageous warrior is shown with bold black curves for eyebrows, with broad graded lines of red which curve upward from the nose and brow and around the cheek.  The youthful and handsome hero is identified by two spatula-shaped eyebrows, red lines under the eyes curve up to meet the outer tips of the eyebrows, the top lip is outline in a thin curve in red with a touch of black at each corner.  (Scott, 1955, 124)

Kabuki Wigs

          The wigs of Kabuki have no equal in the world of theatre traditions.  Most of the wigs are made of black hair; however, they do vary in accordance with age, sex, social class, and status.  The only wigs that are not black are the white wigs that are used for supernatural beings such as ghost.  A change in wigs that a particular character may be using is intended to express a heightening of emotions as well as demonstrate psychological change.  (Gunji, 1987, 40.)  The tradition of wearing a wig stemmed from the era of young boys portraying the parts of Kabuki plays.(1612-1648.)  The young boys would shave a part of their head to show virility.  When it became illegal to be a male prostitute in 1648, the actors began to wear kerchiefs over their heads to cover the bald spots.  This was later replaced by a dark purple silk patch to look like hair.  This was replaced by wigs and the tradition began (Brandon, Malm, & Shively, 1978, 9.)  Eighty-four wig types have been clearly identified and labeled.  (Brandon, Malm, & Shively, 1978, 109.)

          Each part of the wig has a special name.  The parts of the wig are the mae gami, the hair above the forehead; the bin, the sweep of hair at either side of the face; the tabo, the coil of hair in the nape of the neck; and the mage, the knot of hair on top of the head.  When these are combined in different combinations make each individual hairstyle to make each character.  (Scott, 1955, 130.)