茄官
茄官 茄官 — 老年妇女角色。在苏州为梨花苑剧班购买的十二个女孩之一。
茄官
“Old Women's Roles”
Her Story
One of the twelve girls bought in Suzhou for the Pear Tree Court company. Her line was 老旦, the old-woman roles. When the troupe is broken up in Chapter 58 and the girls are distributed as maids among the households, Qieguan goes to You-shi at the Ning-guo house. The novel gives her nothing else — no scene, no speech. She is a name on a roster and a role in a repertory, and the book moves on.
In Xiang Li's Hands
Seated, eyes lowered, threading small blossoms onto a string that falls down her skirt. Chrysanthemums in her hair and a chrysanthemum spray at her feet. The palette is grey-green and dull mauve — the muted colours of the 老旦 line, given to her without ageing her a day.
The Calligraphy
The stage name 茄官 alone, two characters, no surname and no household — the only name the novel ever gives her.
Connections
- You-shi 尤氏 — mistress of the Ning-guo house, who takes her when the company is dissolved.
- Wenguan 文官 — the troupe’s leading player, taken by Grandmother Jia in the same distribution.
- Jia Qiang 贾蔷 — bought the twelve girls in Suzhou and ran the company.
Others of the same kind · actress – Pear Tree Court troupe (梨香院十二官) Fangguan 芳官 · Ruiguan 蕊官 · Ouguan 藕官 · Kuiguan 葵官 · Douguan 豆官 · Aiguan 艾官 · Lingguan 龄官 · Baoguan 宝官 · Yuguan 玉官 · Diguan 菂官
Dream of the Red Chamber
Xiang Li painted all 413 characters of the novel between 1975 and 1985, the first person to complete the entire cast. See the whole collection · Chinese Empresses
