Beautiful vintage, 1960s , Venetian mask, rigorously handmade

Beautiful vintage, 1960s , Venetian mask, rigorously handmade, with precious cloths and gold powders. joker mask with 5 spikes and bells. made in Venice by " the Maskmaker " .

comes with original label and certificate of 100% handmade Italian craftsmanship.

Size 40 x 40 cm

Masks have always been an important feature of the Venetian carnival. Traditionally people were allowed to wear them between the festival of Santo Stefano (St. Stephen's Day, December 26) and the end of the carnival season at midnight of Shrove Tuesday (movable, but during February or early March). As masks were also allowed on Ascension and from October 5 to Christmas, people could spend a large portion of the year in disguise.

Maskmakers (mascherari) enjoyed a special position in society, with their own laws and their own guild, with their own statute dated 10 April 1436. Mascherari belonged to the fringe of painters and were helped in their task by sign-painters who drew faces onto plaster in a range of different shapes and paying extreme attention to detail.