Dress Up your New Year's with A Mask

Masquerade masks were initially designed in Italy as a sort of diversion to the townfolk throughout festival months, and caught on instantly as, once disguised behind a mask, the gentlemen and women could publicly mix with the commoners for the period of festival. Old Italian law stipulated the two groups were not permitted to mingle, a law which, if broken could result in major punishment. Even in the face of such discipline, the noblemen including clergy would conceal themselves and speak with the commoners, doing their very best to ferret out critical political knowledge from them. The style for the masquerade cover up could be as simple or as elaborate as the inventor could envision. Because beads, ribbon and feathers were mostly plentiful and lively, they were common objects in masks. After their creation in Italy, the attractiveness of the masquerade mask spread out easily worldwide.



Different types of Venetian Masks



There are five typical Venetian mask types which are constructed from leather, paper mache’ or with the usage of gesso and gold leaf. The Bauta mask, with its square jawline, sharp 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 created with a jutting beaked front, permitting its wearer to both eat and drink while remaining masked-the design also transformed the tone of the user's voice, adding further to the mystery. The Bauta was always either black or white and was the one mask which was not worn strictly at carnival times; it was actually mandatory for women to put on the Bauta mask when enjoying a night at the theater.



The attractive black velvet oval mask, believed to heighten the feminine attributes, is known as a Moretta or Servetta Mutta, signifying a mute maid servant, perhaps since the wearer was not able to speak due to 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. Although the original Moretta mask was kept in place by having a button clenched between the wearer’s teeth, modern Moretta masks use ties.



The Larva or Volto masquerade mask is almost all white, and often donned along with a three cornered hat to finish the outfit. Like the Bauta, the design of the mask alotted the wearer to breathe and drink, and so there was no necessity to take it off and expose one’s identity. The Larva masks were created with fine wax cloth, and were rather lightweight, making them appropriate for eating, dancing-and mingling!



The Columbino mask was a half-mask, held up onto the face using a baton or tied with a ribbon. It was a gorgeous actress from the sixteenth century who encouraged the Columbino; it had been rumored that she believed herself too attractive to disguise her whole face. Combine masks are typically adorned 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 developer who in fact designed the mask as a safeguard for treating people with the plague. Medico Della Peste is a complete full-faced mask which features a long, narrow, hollow beak. These masks are usually solid white, with round eye holes covered with crystal discs.



The domino mask is a small rounded mask covering just the eyes as well as the space between them; Venetian Carnival masks were well-known as domini due to the fact they mirrored French priests’ winter hoods, being black on the exterior and white in the interior. The domino mask resembles the masquerade mask, however lacks the elaborations and decoration.



The most popular colors of the masks were typically vivid oranges, reds, blues and greens, with darker colors customarily being reserved for the men’s full-face mask. Masks continue to be popular today regardless if during a Venetian carnival, an unconventional wedding, costume balls, or special festivals like Chinese New Year and Renaissance Fair. By far the most popular use is in the celebration of Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Masquerade masks are also frequently used as simply interesting pieces of artwork. New Year’s Masquerade balls tend to be incredibly popular special occasion-after all, using a lovely masquerade mask to welcome in the New Year just seems to go hand in hand! The most used colors for New Year’s parties usually are black and white or black and silver, and quite a few people use stick masks for these celebrations as they can be worn periodically. If you find yourself planning to look incredibly fashionable not to mention sophisticated this New Year’s, think about the inclusion of a masquerade mask to your costume.



Ivy Davila spends her time writing for Frankel's Costume Blog, where you can find more of her work.