Sunday, January 23, 2011

Masks for New Year's

By Ivy Davila


Masquerade masks were originally produced in Italy to become a look of diversion to the townspeople throughout festival months, and caught on quickly as, once concealed behind a mask, the gentlemen and ladies could freely blend with the common folk throughout festival. Old Italian law stated both classes were not allotted to blend, a law which, if broken could result in serious discipline. Despite the face of such penalty, the noblemen including clergy would conceal themselves and speak together with the commoners, doing their best to ferret out important political knowledge from them. The construction of the masquerade disguise is generally as basic or as elaborate as the designer could visualize. Because beads, ribbon and feathers were generally plentiful and radiant, they were widely used pieces on masks. After their creation in Italy, the acceptance of the masquerade mask spread out instantly globally.

Variations of Venetian Masks

There are five general Venetian mask types which are made out of leather, paper mache' or with the application of gesso and gold leaf. The Bauta mask, with its square jawline, pointed chin and no mouth, hid the face for complete anonymity. The Bauta is one of the oldest Venetian masks, whose proper name is "Larva," which translates too ghost mask. The Bauta mask was made with a jutting beaked front, permitting its wearer to both eat and drink while remaining masked-the design also altered the tone of the user's voice, adding further to the mystery. The Bauta was usually either black or white and was the one mask which was not worn exclusively at carnival times; it was actually compulsory for women to don the Bauta mask while relishing an evening at the theater.

The lovely black velvet oval mask, thought to boost the womanly attributes, is known as a Moretta or Servetta Mutta, signifying a mute maid servant, possibly because the wearer was not able to speak as a result of the mask's design. The Moretta mask was created in France but became quite the rage among Venetian women who wore it while visiting the convent, perhaps to help ensure their silence. While the original Moretta mask was kept in place through a button clenched between the user's teeth, today's Moretta masks favor ties.

The Larva or Volto masquerade mask is almost all white, likely utilized with a three cornered hat to finish the outfit. Much like the Bauta, the contour of the mask allowed the user to breathe and drink, as a result there was no requirement to remove it and expose one's identity. The Larva masks were made of fine wax cloth, and were fairly lightweight, establishing them appropriate for eating, dancing-and flirting!

The Columbino mask was a half-mask, secured to the face using a baton or tied with a ribbon. It was a stunning actress from the sixteenth century who prompted the Columbino; it had been rumored that she considered herself too stunning to cover her whole face. Combine masks can be embellished with fur, feathers, jewels, gold, silver and crystals.

The Medico Della Peste mask (The Plague Doctor). A French Physician by the name of Charles de Lorme was the mask's creator who genuinely created the mask as a safety measure for caring for people with the plague. Medico Della Peste is a complete full-faced mask which has an extended, narrow, hollow beak. These masks are typically completely white, with round eye holes covered with crystal discs.

The domino mask can be described as a small rounded mask covering just the eyes and the space between them; Venetian Carnival masks were called domini basically because they looked like French priests' winter hoods, being black on the exterior and white on the inside. The domino mask is just like the masquerade mask, though lacks the elaborations and decoration.

The most common colors associated with the masks were commonly bright oranges, reds, blues and greens, with darker colors generally being reserved for the men's full-face mask. Masks continue to be widely used today either at the Venetian carnival, an unconventional wedding, costume balls, or special celebrations like Chinese New Year and Renaissance Fair. By far the most well known use is in the celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Masquerade masks are also commonly used as merely interesting items of artwork. New Year's Masquerade balls tend to be unbelievably popular occasion-after all, bearing a lovely masquerade mask to welcome in the New Year just seems to go together! The preferred colors for New Year's parties usually are black and white or black and silver, and some people use stick masks for these occasions as they can be utilized periodically. If you are trying to look quite fashionable as well as sophisticated this New Year's, think about the addition of a masquerade mask to your own costume.




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