Pair of Peking Opera Martial Arts Props

Dated to the late 19th-century, these unusual sculptural objects are martial arts props once used by a Peking opera troupe in traditional "martial plays" known as wuxi. Based on historical legends and heroic battles, martial plays were full of action and required the actors to be skilled in fighting, acrobatics, and swordsmanship.

Although the traditional stage props of Peking opera include only "a table and two chairs," later productions introduced many different tools and objects, such as whips, trays, weapons, and accessories. Expertly wielded in place of a weapon, these large wooden props would have added to the high level of refinement and spectacle characteristic of Peking opera.