A little history....
Venetian masks are a centuries-old tradition of Venice, Italy. They have always been an essential component of the Venetian Carnival. The masks are typically worn during the Carnival (Carnival of Venice), but have been used on many other occasions in the past, usually as a device for hiding the rearer's identity and social status. Carnival started as a time for celebration where all social classes would mingle, and the fact of wearing a mask offered a unique possibility to remain anonymous, enjoying the advantages that such condition brought with it. Tn a society where social classes were very well defined and not intended to interact with each other, wearing a mask allowed to hide any form of identification based on origin, age, gender or religion. The mask would permit the wearer to act more freely in cases where he or she wanted to interact with the other members of the society outside the bounds of identity and everyday convention. It was useful for a variety of purposes, some of them illicit or criminal, others just personal, such as romantic encounters.
Within your kit you will find the following supplies:
- Plain white mask
- Three sizes of colored gems
- Decorative colored balls
- Multi-colored feathers
- Ribbons
You will need to supply white glue. (If you did not order the kit, you can purchase this material at a local craft store.)
Then you can decorate your mask any way you want, be as colorful and creative as possible!!! Search the web to see some of the unusual designs Venetians have created and worn throughout history.