Hand-Made Venetian Masquerade Mask: Full-Face Black Joker

$279.95

Inspired by the Commedia dell'arte, this absolutely exquisite adult-size full-face mask has been completely hand-crafted from start to finish in Venice, Italy. It features a lacquered papier-mâché base painted in black, creamy white and gold colouring with a sensuous red mouth. The face is topped by extravagant curls of stiffened black velvet fabric and musical notation parchment, and is accented with beautiful brass bells and brocade.

The entire mask measures approximately 40cm x 40cm, with the face section itself being 16cm across the width and 23cm in length. It has black ribbon ties attached to each side, and also comes with a sturdy loop at the top so that it can be hung on a wall or any vertical surface.

Commedia dell'arte was a popular form of improvisational theatre that began in Italy in the 15th century. It maintained its popularity through to the 18th century and is still performed today. All of the unscripted performances were held out of doors with few props and were free to watch, funded by donations. The performances were improvised around a repertory of stock, conventional situations - adultery, jealousy, old age, love - and some of the characters included the ancestors of the modern clown.The commedia dell'arte has influenced many other forms of drama, including pantomime and Punch and Judy.

The mask comes with a Certificate of Authenticity and will make a marvellous addition to any collection. It would also make a fabulous decoration when mounted on a wall around the home.

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