s worn at the Venice Carnival, which portray the
satirical and exaggerated appearances often used
Masks have always been an important feature of the Venetian Carnival. Traditionally, people were allowed to wear them between the festival of
Santo Stefano (
Saint Stephen's Day, 26 December) and the end of the Carnival season at midnight of
Shrove Tuesday (movable, but
during February or early March). As masks were also allowed on
Ascension and from 5 October to
Christmas, people could spend a large portion of the year in disguise. Maskmakers (
mascherari) enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and their own
guild, with their own statute dated 10 April 1436.
Mascherari belonged to the fringe of painters and were helped in their task by sign-painters who drew faces onto plaster in a range of different shapes and paying extreme attention to detail. Venetian masks can be made of leather or porcelain, or by using the original glass technique. The original masks were rather simple in design and decoration, and often had a symbolic and practical function. Nowadays, most Italian masks are made with the application of
gesso and
gold leaf and are hand-painted, using natural feathers and gems to decorate. However, this makes them rather expensive when compared to the widespread, low-quality masks produced abroad. This competition accelerates the decline of this historical craftsmanship, particular to the city of Venice. Several distinct styles of masks are worn in the Venice Carnival, some with identifying names. People with different occupations wore different masks.
Origin There is less evidence explaining the motive for the earliest mask being worn in Venice. One scholar argues that covering the face in public was a uniquely Venetian response to one of the most rigid class hierarchies in European history. During Carnival, the
sumptuary laws were suspended, and people could dress as they liked, instead of according to the rules that were set down in law for their profession and social class. The first documented sources mentioning the use of masks in Venice can be found as far back as the 13th century. The Great Council made it a crime for masked people to throw scented eggs. These
ovi odoriferi were
eggshells that were usually filled with
rose water perfume, and tossed by young men at their friends or at young women they admired. Another law in 1339 forbade Venetians from wearing vulgar disguises and visiting convents while masked. The law also prohibited painting one's face or wearing false beards or wigs. called a
tabarro (and
zendale hood), the
bauta had become a standardised society mask and disguise regulated by the Venetian government. It was obligatory to wear it at certain political decision-making events when all citizens were required to act anonymously as peers. Only citizens (i.e., men) had the right to use the
bauta. Its role was similar to the anonymizing processes invented to guarantee general, direct, free, equal and
secret ballots in modern democracies. Also, the bearing of weapons along with the mask was specifically prohibited by law and enforceable by the Venetian police. Given this history and its grotesque design elements, the
bauta was usually worn by men, but many paintings done in the 18th century also depict women wearing this mask and tricorn hat.
The Ridotto and
The Perfume Seller by
Pietro Longhi are two examples of this from the 1750s.
Colombina The
Colombina (also known as Columbine) is a half-mask, only covering the wearer's eyes, nose, and upper cheeks. It is often highly decorated with gold, silver, crystals, and feathers. It is held up to the face by a baton or is tied with ribbon as with most other Venetian masks. The Colombina mask is named after a stock character in the
commedia dell'arte: Colombina was a
maidservant and
soubrette who was an adored part of the Italian theatre for generations. It is said it was designed for an actress because she did not wish to have her beautiful face completely covered. In fact, the Colombina is entirely a modern creation. There are no historic paintings depicting its use on the stage or in social life. While both men and women now wear this mask, it began as a woman's
analog to the
bauta.
Gnaga During the 16th century in the
Republic of Venice, homosexuality was illegal and punishable by death by hanging and burning in
Piazza San Marco. However, Venetian law stipulated that people could not be punished for crimes committed while performing as a masked character during the Carnival. In order to practice prostitution without fear of punishment, male homosexual prostitutes wore cat masks, called
gnaga, and performed as women. These prostitutes often wore dresses and carried baskets of
kittens with them. The gnaga mask continues to be worn at the Carnival of Venice by men dressed as women. Wearers of the mask typically behave like female commoners, meowing mockingly at passers-by. People that wear the gnaga are known as .
Medico Della Peste ("The Plague Doctor") The
Medico della Peste ("The Plague Doctor" in English), with its long beak, is one of the most bizarre and recognizable of the Venetian masks, although it did not start as a Carnival mask at all but as a method of preventing the spread of disease. The striking design originates from 17th century French physician Charles de Lorme who adopted the mask together with other sanitary precautions while treating
plague victims. The mask is often white, consisting of a hollow beak and round eyeholes covered with crystal discs, creating a bespectacled effect. Its use as a Carnival mask is entirely a modern convention and today these masks are often much more decorative. Although the mask and costume are worn almost exclusively by males, the enhancement in decoration also suggests that women are now more probably to wear the mask and costume than in previous years at the Carnival. The
plague doctors who followed De Lorme's example wore the usual black hat and long black cloak as well as the mask, white gloves and a staff (so as to be able to move patients without having to come into physical contact with them). They hoped these precautions would prevent them from contracting the disease. The mask was originally beaked with a purpose in congruence with the
miasmatic theory of disease practiced at that time: the hollow beak allowed for the containment of flowers and other sweet-smelling substances designed to keep away the foul odours that were thought to spread infection. Those who wear the plague doctor mask often also wear the
associated clothing of the plague doctor. The popularity of the Medico della peste among carnival celebrants can be seen as a
memento mori.
Moretta / servetta muta The
moretta ("dark one" in English) or
servetta muta ("mute servant woman" in English) was a small strapless black velvet oval mask with wide eyeholes and no lips or mouth worn by patrician women. It derived from the
visard mask invented in France in the 16th century, but differed in not having a hole to speak through. The mask was only just large enough to conceal a woman's identity and was held in place by the wearer biting on a button or bit (the women wearing this mask were unable to speak, hence
muta) and was often finished off with a veil.
The Rhinoceros by
Pietro Longhi, sometimes called
Clara the rhinoceros, depicts this mask in use in 1751. It fell into disuse about 1760.
Volto (larva) The
volto ("face" in English) or
larva ("ghost" in English) is the iconic modern Venetian mask: it is often made of stark white porcelain or thick plastic, although also frequently gilded and decorated, and is commonly worn with a
tricorn and cloak. The
volto is also quite heavier than a typical mask and has a much tighter fit; many people who experience
claustrophobia do not wear the
volto at the Carnival. If worn by a woman, who are the most common wearers of the
volto at the modern festival, it is typically worn with a headdress, scarf, veil, another mask, or a combination of all four. It is secured in the back with a ribbon. Unlike the
moretta muta, the
volto covers the entire face of the wearer, including the whole of the chin. Unlike a typical mask, it also extends farther back to just before the ears and upwards to the top of the forehead; also unlike the
moretta muta, it depicts the nose and lips in simple facial expressions. Unlike the
bauta, the
volto cannot be worn while eating and drinking because the coverage of the chin and cheeks is too complete and tight (although the jaw on some original
commedia masks was hinged, this is not a
commedia mask and so is never hinged — the lips are always sealed).
Pantalone Another classic character from the Italian stage,
Pantalone, possibly stemming from the
Italian pianta il leone referencing the conquests of Venice and the origin of this character, is usually represented as a sad old man with an oversized nose like the beak of a crow with high brows and slanted eyes (meant to signify intelligence on the stage). Like other
commedia masks, Pantalone is also a half mask. This mask is almost exclusively worn by men, although its popularity at modern festivals has declined.
Arlecchino Arlecchino ("Harlequin" in English) is a Zanni character of the
commedia. He is meant to be a type of "noble savage", devoid of reason and full of emotion, a peasant, a servant, even a slave. His originally wooden and later leather half-mask, painted black, depicts him as having a short, wide nose, a set of wide, round, arching eyebrows, a rounded beard, and always a "bump" upon his forehead meant to signify a devil's horn. He is a theatrical counterpoint to and often servant of Pantalone, and the two characters often appeared together on the stage.
Zanni The
Zanni class of characters is another classic of the stage. Their half mask is in leather, presenting themselves with a low forehead, bulging eyebrows and a long nose with a reverse curve towards the end. It is said that the longer the nose, the more stupid the character. The low forehead is also seen as a sign of stupidity. The Zanni are often the supporting characters in a
commedia performance, often fulfilling similar societal roles as Arlecchino, although with smaller parts. ==In culture==