Masks - Venice: A Travel Guide to Murano Glass, Carnival Masks, Gondolas, Lace, Paper and More - page 49

the cast or clay model. Next, the mask maker buffs the mask and cuts holes for the eyes and
other facial features, if desired. Finally, the mask is painted by hand using tempera paints.
Most mask makers have a variety of paintbrushes at their workbenches, using fine brushes
for gilding and other details. Some complete a piece by covering it with wax, gloss, or pol-
ish to impart a shiny finish, but these trade secrets vary from workshop to workshop.
Traditional Mask Types
Although the earliest Venetian Carnival masks were simple affairs—a plain white or black
molded form with cutouts for the eyes—eventually a range of archetypal masks developed.
By the eighteenth century, some of the most commonly worn mask types were based on
characters from the Commedia dell'Arte, a popular theater genre whose stock characters
would have been immediately recognizable to an eighteenth-century Venetian. These char-
acters included a host of heroes, clowns, patricians, and servants. Most of the masks based
on these stage characters were half-masks, since the mouth needed to remain free so that
the actor could be heard.