Yao Qi - Old Cross Face

The cross face makeup evolved from the three-tile face. The principal color symbolizing the nature of the character is a narrow strip from the top of the forehead to the top of the nose. This strip intersects the line of the eye sockets to form a cross, hence the name.

The two subtypes --- old cross face and the variegated cross face --- both represent positive characters, such as heroes or bold warriors. The old cross face has a full beard covering the mouth and the variegated face a beard with the mouth exposed.

Yao Qi in the opera "Grass-Bridge Pass" has an old black-cross face. His eyelids droop as a sign of age, but his cheeks are pointed pink to show that he still has the vigor of youth.

Zhang Fei in the opera "The Reed Marsh" has a variegated black-cross face. As the bar-shaped brows and smiling eyes resemble a butterfly, the face is also called a butterfly black-cross face.