Tartaglia Commedia Del Arte Character

The Tartaglia character has a minor role in the Commedia Del Arte .He is known to be near sighted and with a terrible stutter , hence his name which is a translation from Spanish meaning "to stutter".Most of the time the Tartaglia is put in the class of the elderly group and has a profession like bailiff,lawyer,chemist or notary, this leaves his character in the void between servant class and noble class.

the costume of this Commedia Del Arte character is an over sized cloak, large felt hat and boots, long sword and huge moustache , and a cardboard nose.

the famous porky pig cartoon character is known to have been based on this Commedia Del Arte character. 

to see our selection of Italian Commedia Del Arte masks visit www.venetianmasquerademasks.co.uk

A Carnival in Venice

A Carnival in Venice or (Carnevale Di Venezia) is the annual festival held forty days before Easter. Carnaval stated as a time for celebration and expression throughout the social classes, and wearing a Venetian mask helped them to merge to even more.After the decline of the Carnaval in Venice during the 1700s , it was reintroduced by the Italian government in 1970, in the hope of restoring Venice's history and culture.

Approx 30,000 people come to Venice Carnival a year , and one of its most important events is the best masked competition , with a panel of international costume and fashion designer judges.

if your looking for the perfect Venice Carnival mask then visit www.venetianmasqueademasks.co.uk

Assassins Creed Brotherhood Carnival Mask

If there are any fans of the brilliant assassins creed series out there , then you will have seen the stunning Bauta mask worn by Ezio Auditore for the carnival in sequence 9 of assassins creed 2 brotherhood , which is set in Renaissance Italy .The Bauta

 venetian mask is worn when you must slip into a carnival party held by Barbagio and assassinate him whilst not being found . the Bauta mask aides you in getting into the party without being detected .

a thoroughly good game especially for us . 

to see our selection of bauta masks please visit us at www.venetianmasquerademasks.co.uk 

Scream Mask

The Scream mask or "Ghost Face " is forever remembered from the iconic slasher scream series films .and is a fictional identity used by the main antagonists of the film.the characters voice is by Roger L. Jackson regardless of who has been behind the mask.

The mask is based on the Scream painting by the artist Edvard Munch and was created by the fun world employee Brigitte sleirstein. the mask used primarily as a disguise for the murders to protect their identity has become more thrilling due to the fact that the changing faces behind him mean he has no definite motivation.

The costume consists of a rubber latex mask ,hooded black robe and hunting knife .

to see our selection of scream masks just visit www.venetianmasqueademasks.co.uk

Commedia Del Arte El Capitano

El Capitano  Italian for The Captain is a Commedia Del Arte character who is often foreign . He  originates from around the 1600s and is based on the Spanish occupation of Italy during this time hence El Capitano is often  Spanish in the Commedia Del Arte plays.

The character tends to talk at great length about his military prowess and romantic flings  in his wish to impress everyone but mostly just impresses himself, as he has no idea about woman and would instantly run away if the need to fight arose. Greed is often a word associated with the El Capitano , as in the scenario where he is chosen to protect the female Immoretti but proceeds to set up a bidding war between all her suitors, and is known to often switch sides during conflict depending on who is winning .

the costume of the Commedia Del Arte  El Capitano is a military uniform and tricorn hat  which is worn and patchy to show his lack of money.His mask has a large nose and moustache which is usually turned up at the corners.Glasses are usually worn for his poor vision but the character insists its so his fierce glint wont outshine the sun.Because he is foreign a overly large ruff is worn in the Spanish fashion.His sword is just for show , and if he ever draws it it is always either too heavy to hold or wobbly to use , which emphasises his lack of courage , whilst his stance is straight with one hand on hip and the other placed on sword to show off.his comedy value is greatly shown when he is scared as he screams like a women and then is known to faint .

Because he El Capitano is a show off his titles are usually something like "Mountain Crumbler" and "Mountain Splitter" , But He often ends up with ridicules names like "The saviour Of Drunken Virgins".

To see our great range of Commedia Del Arte Masks visit www.venetianmasquerademasks.co.uk

A full face mask the Bauta or Bautta has a strong stubborn chin line ,  and is always covered in plenty of gilding .The Bauta mask covers the top of the face from forehead to nose including the cheeks but leaves the mouth open to enable the wearer to to eat and converse easily. the design of the mask also changes the timbre of the wearers voice concealing the identity of the wearer even more.

the Bauta mask is one of the most worn by men  during Carnival, but it wasn't always for this occasion. Due to its ability of hiding a persons identity and social status , many wore it to allow them to act more freely and outside the limits of convention for such things as illicit ,criminal,personal and romantic interests.

During the 1700s the Bauta mask became  a regulated mask obligatory by the Venetian government , to be worn during political decision making events and ballots where citizens were required to be anonymous o ensure free and equal votes. Whilst wearing the mask the wearer was required to not carry arms. 

To see our great range of authentic Bauta masks visit www.venetianmasquerademasks.co.uk 

Casanova Mask

The Casanova mask is the epitome of the famous lover Guacomo Casanova .representing everything Casanova stood for ,wealthy, seductive , humorous and dangerous .

born in 1725  to the actress Zanetta Farussi , Casanova was brought up in the pleasure capitol of Europe , the republic of Venice . with its famed carnival ,gambling houses and courtesans , Venice enticed the wealthy young men of Europe to make it one of  the first  stops of their grand tour .this exciting city would be the pleasure ground of Casanova throughout his life .

He spent much of his youth at boarding school until being placed under the care of the Abbe Gozzi  and his family .it was in this household that Casanova had his first encounter with the opposite sex in the form of the Abbes younger sister .

He was known early on for his quick wit , inquisitiveness  and intense appetite for knowledge which lead him to entering Padua University .But becoming increasingly in debt due to his gambling he left and returned to Venice to become a clerical lawyer and abbe in the called the patriarch of Venice .By this point he was something of a dandy with his powdered and scented wigs and tall dark looks ., which brought him to the attention of the rich venetian senator Alvise Mallipero .Mallipero  taught Casanova the manners of society , the joys of good food and wine and the best circles to move in .The two parted ways after the senator caught Casanova dallying with an actress called Teresa Imer who was the intended object of seduction for Mallipero .during this time Casanova also amused himself with the company of two sisters called Nannetta and Maria . These plus scandals including being thrown into prison and caught writing love letters to a cardinal  ended Casanovas short church career .

Looking for a new way to earn money he joined the venetian army as a military officer , but soon abandoned it after finding the duty's to boring .By now 21 Casanova became a violinist and embraced the the habits of his fellow degraded musicians .after tiring of the music life he went on to try his hand at a career in gambling ,doctoring ,writing and as a state spy.but by 49 his reckless years of living and travelling had taken its toll on his health and looks which had been ruined by small pox scars. the woman became few and the gambling less fun without the funds.

When Count Joseph Von Waldstein requested Casanova to become his librarian in Bohemia , Casanova readily agreed and lived there writing his famous memoirs and conquests  until his death aged 73 .one of his most famous seductions was that of a nun , who during carnival was seduced by Casanova wearing a Venetian carnival mask and sneaking into the convent to find her.

If your looking for your own mask with much history to it why not try www.venetianmasquerademasks.co.uk

Commedia Del Arte Pantalone

The only official  date for the Pantolone  Del  Biscognosi  character meaning (Pantalone of the needy)  in Commedia Del  Arte is in 1550 , but it was known to have been around much earlier than this . he was one of the most important characters in the play being portrayed as a stingy ,decrepit old venetian merchant with an unpleasant personality  and at the top of the social order of the day .

everything about the character is based on money and his ego . from the Pantalone mask  and  his stance which is hunchbacked to impress on the audience his age and money grabbing ways to the way he falls backwards whenever news of financial distaer is relayed to him plus  thinking himself highly intelligent , but usually becoming the butt of tricks and jokes .

most commonly he is the father of one of the two young lovers or else the elderly widower who wishes to marry the young woman, and trys to keep them apart. his most common traits are his attempts at making passes at women only to be rejected every time . his role in the play is pivotal as the bad element keeping the happy lovers apart.

a modern portrayal of this is in the simpsons with the character  Mr Burns , who shows greed , misery, and the stinginess which sums up the pantalone exactly .

if your looking for your Commedia Del  Arte mask then visit www.venetianmasquerademasks.co.uk