Nuo Theater Mask, Guizhou, Southwestern China, 19th Century.

This mask depicts
Bingling Taizi (炳灵太子) — The Radiant Prince, God of Fire
Stuccoed wood with polychrome lacquer; signs of internal wear; chips.
Guizhou, Southwest China19th century -
Dimensions: 32 x 18 cm

Bingling Taizi — “The Luminous Prince” — is the third son of Dong Yue Dadi, the Emperor of the Eastern Mountain, who is none other than Nuo Gong himself, the tutelary deity of the Nuo cult. Sometimes referred to simply as Bingling, he is also associated with the God of Fire (火神), the quintessential purifying and protective power.
Worn during Nuo (傩) and Dixi (地戲) ceremonies, this mask embodied a celestial prince whose light was believed to dispel dark forces and protect the community. The face expresses a gentle, youthful serenity: rounded features, almond-shaped eyes with slightly drooping eyelids, a mouth delicately parted to reveal a thin red line—the face of a young god whose power is asserted not through violence but through radiance.
The dignitary’s headdress, with a black background accented by heavily worn red and ochre motifs, affirms the nobility of his rank in the celestial hierarchy.

Provenance: Former Collection of Paul-Louis Couailhac (1945–2025) A French expert in Oriental studies, a graduate of INALCO, and a great bibliophile recognized for having assembled one of the most important private collections of Chinese Nuo theater ritual masks in Europe. An exhibition showcasing his collection of Nuo masks was dedicated to him in 2026 in Issigeac by the Ocarina Gallery.
This mask is reproduced in: Paul Louis Couailhac, *The Dragon’s Daughter and Other Characters You Might Encounter in China*, Éditions Couailhac, 2019, p. 92.
Sold with a certificate of authenticity from expert S. Reynes and an invoice from Galerie Ocarina.
*Shipping costs to be quoted by DHL, based on a quote.