History Of Masks Wearing

Music
Kimberly Bird 1W

Mask wearing started as a way to appear as someone or

something you are not, to either discipline, perform or express.
Masks were worn at religious events, social activities and
funerary ceremonies. Other masks were used for festivities or to
roleplay as characters from dramatic mythologic events. The
tradition of mask wearing started in Venice during the thirteen
hundreds . The Venetians would use the masks to protect their
identities while mingling with the opposite social class at huge
parties. These parties would last from the twenty sixth of
December to the beginning of lent. They indulged in illicit
activities, such as gambling and political assassinations, so
having their identity be secret was very important. The eary
mask designs were simple and after Carnival in Venice was
abolished for nearly two decades, they served a very practical
purpose. Women in Venice were not allowed to attend the
theater without a bauta covering their faces. In today's world ,
people wear masks during carnival time to express themselves,
protect their identities and portray different characters. Some
characters commonly portrayed are Baby Doll, Dame Lorraine,
Bats, Cow Band and Book Man. All of these characters feature
intricate and sparsely different mask designs.
^ Baby Doll Carnival Character

^ Dame Lorraine Carnival Character

^ Bat Carnival Character

^ Cow Band Carnival Character

^ Bookman Carnival Character

^ Venetian Mask