“纱阁戏人”也叫“纱阁”，是民间艺人以传统戏剧为题材，用草秸、泥和纸等材料制作而成的戏剧人物，置于阁(木箱)中，一阁一戏出神入化、尤如舞台十分传神。这一民间工艺品明清时在晋中一带非常流行。

　　平遥“纱阁”，多见于县城元宵节的“社火”活动中，也经常在县城中心市楼陈设供人观赏，并用与民间丧事灵棚摆设。清光绪三十二年(1906年)平遥城内有位熟悉和精通传统戏曲的纸扎名艺人许立廷，他在家排行第三，人称“许老三”。他经营的纸扎作坊“六合斋”当时为市楼专制的36阁戏人，每阁两千文，可谓代表之作。如今山西省平遥县博物馆陈列的这28阁纱阁戏人是保留下来的真品。这些作品形象生动、色彩丰富，从身势、脸谱、服饰至道具，尤如“工笔重彩画”，极具美感。

　　平遥纱阁，为国内仅有，稀世珍品，是国家一级文物，已成为研究我国传统戏剧和民间美术难得的实物资料。

　　“纱阁戏人”的制做工艺非常复杂。首先要做人物的骨架：主料为木、竹、草秸、绳索等经过捆扎来表现各种人物的姿态和体形、即夸张、又合理、相互关系协调，主次人物有别，肥瘦随人而易。这道工序全靠纸浆来表现，进而为装头，披手足(脚)和着装(穿衣服)打好基础。

　　接着就要做人物的头和手：先用胶泥、麻纸合好泥料，准备塑各种人物头像。先制模具、模具分为前后两块，制作时把泥压成薄片分别放入模内，用拇指压实，然后拨落后拼合起来，用泥条粘逢。稍干时揭模，取出空头再修改眼神、嘴角，求其变化。手脚是直接捏成的，关键在手指上做文章，刻化情感。上色是较难的一道工艺，它不用油漆涂刷绘制，完全用石质颜料来表现。用白粉(也叫银粉)打底色，加入朱膘色显示女性，加绘色彩表现花脸、丑角以及花脸等人物。眉眼全用墨色画。这里有个出光手法，传统做法是除胶以外，要巧用鸡蛋清涂抹，最后再靠绸缎料打磨出光，可达到年久不氧化、不失光泽。

　　最后要给人物穿服饰和头戴：先内后外，分层次穿衣，色纸主要是“色宣”，粘时要喷水，以表现衣褶。主要人物因身分角色不同，上面要有贴金银纹样，图案剪成后上色，还要用石色绘画。武将穿衣甲，主要用金银纸刻成，下衬色纸显示。男女头饰非常复杂，有的要用硬纸做成硬胎，上涂油彩，再“沥粉贴金”，安装绒球、绸穗等物。几乎和真的“凤冠”“纱帽”等相似，达到了“乱真”的程度。

　　人物造型完成之后还要根据剧情制作舞台背景，最后要将所有材料组合在一个80公分见方的木箱里，这时呈现在我们面前的是一个个活灵活现、精彩纷呈的舞台戏剧表演的真实场面。

　　姜健

　　Shage Xi Ren the Opera Paper Dolls in Fine Casket

　　From the collection of the Pingyao Museum, Shanxi Province

　　These Opera paper dolls in fine casket, called “SHAGE,” (pronounced as in “Shagger”) belong to a folk art that was once popular in central Shanxi Province during the Ming and Qing dynasties (1368—1911). It boasts of vivid opera figurines made of straw, mud and paper. The figurines or dolls (“XIREN” pronounced as in “See-run” means “opera actors”) are placed in a wood box or casket (“GE”), each box - “GE” - displays one play “XI” of the traditional Chinese opera, with high entertainment value. In the old times, people in Pingyao County used to show the “SHAGE” at county fairs during lantern festival or at funerals. Xu Liting, a local paper craftsman, was famous for his expertise in traditional opera. His paper workshop called Liuhezhai (the House of Six Harmonies) produced in 1906 a series of 36 boxes of play for the City Hall, which was deemed the best example of his work, at a cost of 1000 wen each. Here the remaining 28 genuine SHAGE of craftsman Xu’s most representative work are the only ones preserved till our time. These art crafts possess lively attitude, with exceptional vivid color, beautiful and refined costume, painted face and prop.

　　These rare Pingyao SHAGE, now classified as valuable antique under Class-1 State protection, represent a unique documentary material indispensable for the study of Chinese traditional opera and folk art.

　　The making of these SHAGE is of a rather complex process. First it is necessary to build the structure of the figurines: using materials such as wood, bamboo, straw and strings. These are bound together using paper pulp and fastened with strings to form the desired shape and attitude of the figurine. The structure sometimes exaggerated but always proportionate reflects the corpulent or skinny figure of each character, and according to the main or secondary roles. The next stage involves placement of the heads and hands, and the costumes.

　　The making of the heads calls for a mixture of clay with rough paper, to form the plaster for the casting of various heads. The moulds come in two parts: one for the face, and one for the back of the head. The thin sheet of clay plaster is laid inside the moulds and pressed hard with the thumb to solidify it. The facial part and the back part of the head are then glued together with clay. After drying, the craftsman will carve out carefully the eyes and the mouth to perfect the expression. The clay hands and feet are made into expressive shape by hand. Emphasis is put on the fingers to express emotion or feelings.

　　Applying colors is an elaborate procedure. Instead of oil paint, mineral pigments are used here, with white powder as foundation. Adding pink colorant to specify women characters and various painted patterns to represent the faces of comic characters, villains or heroes. Eyebrows are painted in black ink. To achieve a glossy effect, layers of liquid cement and egg-based tempera paint are applied to the face. When dry, the face becomes glossy through silk cloth polishing. Such colors are supposed to last a long time without oxidizing.

　　The final stage centers on costume and headgear. The figurine has to put on the underwear first, before the proper external coat. All dresses are made of colored rice-paper; the dressing involves water spray to produce pleats and folds. To distinguish the main characters and their roles, golden and silver patterns are added on. Paper cuts and color paints are then used to complete the designs. The combatant generals’ armor is made of gold or silver paper topped with leaf-lined color paper cuts. Headgear for male and female characters is the most intricate. Sometimes cardboard paper is used to form the hat shape, which is painted and completed with gold or silver glazing. Ornamental balls and tassels are then attached, forming delicate headgear that looks as true as the actual one.

　　The work is not done without creating the décor based on the scenes of the opera play. In the end all the combined elements

　　Jiang Jian