This hand craved and painted mask features Zhangliao, one of the famous generals in Three Kingdoms period (220~280). Mask color often depicts the personality of the character. Yellow represents cunning, for Zhangliao was famous for his wisdom on the battle field and won many battles.

The Romance of the Three Kingdoms, a historical novel by Luo Guanzhong, was a romanticization of the events that occurred before and during the Three Kingdoms Period. In the novel, Zhang Liao was depicted as a loyal and upright general. While this might not be untrue, such portrayal was likely the result of artistic simplification.