Carnival Masks

Carnivals are celebrated in almost all the countries throughout the world and are a cause of great joy and celebration for the people. The word “carnival” has often been linked to the idea of “good bye to flesh” in the European Christian tradition and refers to the 40 days of lent. According to the religious traditions and customs the Catholics were prescribed not to consume meat during this period. Thus the days preceding this period of abstain from worldly pleasures such as consumption of meat during lent became a period of merry making and living without restraint by over indulgence. The celebrations during the carnivals became a way of escape from the pressure of the scriptures that the believers had to adhere to and from the rigidity of religious customs and traditions.

Venetian Mask

People’s spontaneity produced the authentic and original way to celebrate at the carnivals and the most unexpected objects were improvised upon by the humble masses in order to provide them with a chance to take part in the celebration and merry making. People made do with any object that they could afford such as cardboard, plastic, fruits etc as well as some improvised way of makeup. The carnival masks helped them create the most alluring and astonishing images of fantasy and illusion.
The person who wears a mask is transformed into something different since masks possess the power of transforming those who wear them. Masks not only change the behaviour of the person who wears them but also of those who happen to interact with them. In several countries masks are worn by the masses during the carnival celebrations due to religious beliefs or rituals. Many believe that masks are able to hide a person’s true identity from the evil spirits and thus the masks act as their protectors from the demons. In some ancient African traditions and many Native American tribes belonging to the American North and West this spiritual use of carnival masks during their religious celebrations is evident.
The Venetian masks are typically worn during the Carnival or Carnevale of Venice and marks a centuries -old tradition of Venice. It has also been used on many other occasions usually to hide the identity or the social status of the wearer.
The Venetian masks possess certain distinct characteristics such as their ornate design, that feature the use of bright colors such as gold and silver as well as the infusion of complex decorations such as the baroque style. The Venetian masks can be full face masks such as the Bauta or eye masks such as the Columbina and of these designs stem from the Commedia dell’arte.

Carnival Masks

Bauta is a full face mask and is often accompanied by a red cape and a tricorn.
The columbina is an example of a half mask that mostly come highly decorated with gold, silver, crystals and feathers.
One of the most bizarre and recognizable of all the Venetian masks is the Medico Della Peste with its long break.
Other examples of popular Venetian masks include the Moretta that is known to bring out the beauty of the feminine features in the wearer and the Volto that is mainly white and typically Venetian.