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Home Home and Family Holidays New Year's Masks for Everyone
New Year's Masks for Everyone PDF Print E-mail
Written by Ivy Davila   
Masquerade masks were originally produced in Italy to provide a sort of diversion for the townspeople throughout festival season, and caught on rapidly as, once disguised behind a mask, the gentlemen and women could publicly mix with the commoners throughout festivity. Old Italian law stated both groups were not allotted to associate, a law that, if broken could result in extreme consequences. Even in the face of such consequence, the noblemen including clergy would disguise themselves and socialize together with the commoners, doing their best to ferret out critical political knowledge from them. The design for the masquerade mask can be as basic or as ornate as the designer could visualize. Because beads, ribbon and feathers were quite often plentiful and radiant, they were very common materials on masks. After their inception in Italy, the popularity of the masquerade mask dispersed easily globally.
by IvyDavila


Masquerade masks were originally produced in Italy to provide a sort of diversion for the townspeople throughout festival season, and caught on rapidly as, once disguised behind a mask, the gentlemen and women could publicly mix with the commoners throughout festivity. Old Italian law stated both groups were not allotted to associate, a law that, if broken could result in extreme consequences. Even in the face of such consequence, the noblemen including clergy would disguise themselves and socialize together with the commoners, doing their best to ferret out critical political knowledge from them. The design for the masquerade mask can be as basic or as ornate as the designer could visualize. Because beads, ribbon and feathers were quite often plentiful and radiant, they were very common materials on masks. After their inception in Italy, the popularity of the masquerade mask dispersed easily globally.

Varieties 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 attractive black velvet oval mask, believed to amplify the womanly attributes, is known as a Moretta or Servetta Mutta, signifying a mute maid servant, most likely because the wearer was unable to speak as a result of the mask's design. The Moretta mask originated in France but became quite the rage among Venetian women who wore it while visiting the convent, perhaps to help guarantee their silence. Although the original Moretta mask was held secured with a button clenched between the user's teeth, modern Moretta masks use 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 named Charles de Lorme was the mask's inventor who basically made the mask as a precaution for caring for subjects with the plague. Medico Della Peste is a complete full-faced mask that has an extended, modest, hollow beak. These masks are typically entirely white, with round eye holes adorned with crystal discs.

The domino mask is a small rounded mask covering only the eyes and the space between them; Venetian Carnival masks were known as domini basically because they looked like French priests' winter hoods, being black on the exterior and white in the interior. The domino mask is just like the masquerade mask, but is lacking in the embellishments and adornment.

The favored colors for the masks were normally vibrant oranges, reds, blues and greens, with darker colors generally selected for the men's full-face mask. Masks are still widespread in these modern times perhaps at a Venetian carnival, an non-traditional wedding, costume balls, or special festivals particularly Chinese New Year and Renaissance Fair. Probably the most prominent use is for the celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Masquerade masks are also frequently used as just interesting items of artwork. New Year's Masquerade balls are also particularly popular affair-after all, wearing a lovely masquerade mask to welcome in the New Year just seems to go together! Prominent colors for New Year's parties usually are black and white or black and silver, and many people use stick masks for these events as they can be worn intermittently. If you're hoping to look incredibly fashionable not to mention classy this New Year's, think about the inclusion of a masquerade mask to your outfit.

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If you look to read more about masquerade masks and costumes, check out our costume blog.

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