Water sleeves

Water sleeves are double white-silk sleeves attached to the cuffs of a costume, (usually very long in order that one may “play” with them), used in traditional Chinese opera. In fact, they play an indispensable role in most Chinese opera. They are used not simply for the aesthetic function as a visual image (a costume), by making different gestures and movements, they also imply the music character, rhythm as well as the expressions of the personages in the opera. They connect the music, the dance and the theatre in a perfect way.