Geisha, traditional high-class Japanese entertainers, throughout history, have been wrapped in an air of mystery and intrigue. While Geisha today stand out as exotic and rare, their aesthetics were once very mainstream in Japanese society. In fact, before Western culture infiltrated their society, Geisha were considered the forerunners of high fashion. But once western culture began to take hold, especially after World War II, most other Japanese jumped on the bandwagon, modernizing their look. Geisha, on the other hand, dug in their heels and traded in their trend setter roles for that of the holders of a traditional culture.
Ever wonder about their makeup? The traditional face paint of geisha is their most recognizable trait. It's all about sharp contrast: chalk white faces with crimson, bee stung lips and black eyebrows and lined eyes.
Apprentice geisha wear this white face paint almost constantly, while established geisha generally only wear full face makeup during special performances. In addition to painting the entire face in white, the white makeup also covers the neck and chest.
Two unpainted areas (three for formal), forming a tapered triangle, are left exposed on the nape of her neck, to accentuate this traditionally erotic area, and a line of bare skin around the hairline, which creates the illusion of a mask.
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Here is an example of more formally painted necks.
Trainees, called Maiko, will sometimes color their teeth black. In contrast to the pure white makeup, teeth appear yellow, so coloring the teeth black gives the illusion that they disappear. Evidently, this practice, called Ohaguro, was once common among married women in Japan and in the imperial court. Geisha have held onto many cultural traditions that have otherwise been long ago disregarded.
Here is a great
chart explaining the different stages of a Geisha's training, and how her makeup application and colors change throughout those stages. (Click on the image to enlarge it.) Notice in the chart how the amount of red in the eye make-up starts to decrease with time from when a maiko becomes a geisha. Eventually the red eye color will be minimal or may even be excluded all together.
One
discussion forum I read through theorized that red is worn by the younger trainees because the color is considered a color of youth and virginity. This is why so much red adorns a maiko's outfit and then gradually, for the most part, disappears as she advances and becomes a geiko.
Isn't it fun delving into other cultures and traditions? Color has such a powerful and significant role in so many different societies and groups. I'm fascinated by the breadth and depth to which cultures embrace it on a symbolic level. If you're curious about other cultural or historic uses of color, keep the suggestions coming and I'll investigate!
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