Styles of Venetian Carnival Masks

commedia dell'arte masks

commedia dell'arte masks are based on traditional characters like harlequin. with its origins in renaissance italy (early 16th century) the commedia dell'arte was one of the earliest forms of theatre as we know it today, starting with street performers donning masks to draw attention to themselves

fantasy masks

fantasy masks are creations of the mask makers imagination, although they may be inspired by historical designs and are often elaborately decorated with fabrics and feathers.

traditional venetian masks

traditional venetian masks such as the white volto half-mask with its nose cover and its variant, the plague doctor's mask with its phallic beak. according to tradition, the beak was intended to protect the wearer from being infected by the plague.

masks today are bought both for wearing at the now increasingly popular masked balls and parties and also as pieces of artwork. many people build up collections of masks in the same way they would collect pictures to create stunning wall displays.

all our masks are hand-made in venice by mask makers using traditional methods.