# data[].attributes.body
An explanation of the different types of masks used during the renaissance.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
With so many masquerade masks out there, it's not always easy to decide which one to buy. What style should you wear? Which color should you choose? How do you know if it's suitable for the event you're attending? Is it an accurate expression of your personality?

There are many factors that play into deciding which masquerade mask you'll want to wear to an event; the occasion, your outfit, and the image you want to convey are the three main factors to consider. Here, we'll guide you through the different types of masquerade masks to help you decide which mask is right for you.

The Bauta
L-R: Bauta Barocco Gold, Bauta Barocco Silver, Bauta Cera
Looks like: It's got a square-ish jaw, large chin, and no mouth. Covers the full face and is often either heavily gilded or stark white.

Historically: Standardized Venetian disguise required at political decision-making events, thereby ensuring anonymity.

For: Men who want to get lost in a crowd, and break a few rules.

Wear it to: That party where you want to make an impression when you bump into that special someone.

The Colombina
L-R: Colombina Musica, Colombina Stella Silver White, Colombina Mezza Sky Blue
Looks like: It's a half-mask that is often heavily decorated. Often colorful, this type of mask only covers the wearer's eyes, cheeks, and sometimes nose.

Historically: Named after a maidservant in the Commedia dell'arte; originally the female counterpart of the Bauta.

For: A woman who isn't afraid to let her personality shine through, and nowadays, there are male versions of the Colombina, which offer men a lighter mask with less coverage than other models.

Wear it to: The fete of the season, where everyone who's anyone will be in attendance.

The Medico della Peste

Looks like: It's got a really long hollow beak, round eyes (and sometimes wire glasses). Usually simple in design, rarely ornate.

Historically: Worn by plague doctors to prevent the spread of disease.

For: Men with a love of all things kooky (and maybe a little kinky?), history buffs, and hypochondriacs.

Wear it to: Summer parties, Halloween, and pretty much anything in between.

The Volto
L-R: Volto Macrame Maschile Gold, Volto Barocco Gold
Looks like: It's a simple style that covers the entire face, and depicts basic facial features such as the lips and nose.

Historically: Guaranteed complete and utter anonymity as no part of the face shows.

For: Those who want to make a mysterious entrance, and a quiet exit.

Wear it to: A masquerade party where you want to avoid being recognized by a certain someone.

The Pantalone

Pulcinella Bordeaux, Capitano Ibiz, Naso Pulcinella Silver

Looks like: Features a sizeable hook nose that looks like a beak, and slanted eyes.

Historically: Derived from a classic character in Italian theater, Pantalone had a witty, intelligent personality.

For: The joker in the group; the man who easily strikes up conversation, makes friends, and tells the funniest jokes in the room.

Wear it to: A cocktail party or masked ball-any occasion will do. After all, do you really need a reason to dazzle them all with your sparkling wit?

The Arlecchino
L-R: Trepunte Uomo Stick, Tricorno Tarocchi Uomo
Looks like: Joker-like, colorful, with a short nose and arched brows. Sometimes the mask includes a large headpiece and/or collar, possibly with bells on.

Historically: Another character from the Commedia dell'arte; Arlecchino is devoid of reason and often the servant of the wittier, more intelligent Pantalone.

For: The prankster and the laugh-out-loud bon vivant with the big smile.

Wear it to: An April Fool's party, Halloween, or just for kicks.

The Zanni

Looks like: A long nose, not too dissimilar from the Medico della Peste. Also features bulging eyebrows and a low forehead.

Historically: But beware-the longer the nose, the stupider the character is deemed!

For: The fun-loving person who wants to be completely unrecognizable.

Wear it to: A casual masquerade party, pre-weekend drinks, or to break into your co-workers cubicle.

Got any questions for us? Need help selecting a mask? Contact us and we'll be happy to help you find the perfect piece.

7 stylish accessories men can wear to the masquerade ball →

← Lipsticks that add class to Your Masquerade Mask

25 Responses

Leave a Reply

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The 7 Different Types of Masquerade Masks

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
With so many masquerade masks out there, it's not always easy to decide which one to buy. What style should you wear? Which color should you choose? How do you know if it's suitable for the event you're attending? Is it an accurate expression of your personality?

# data[].attributes.body
A really good list and explanation for what materials were used.

# data[].attributes.body
A comprehensive list of colors used during the renaissance and what each one means.

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.readable_text
This post is designed to meet the needs of people looking for the symbolic meanings of Medieval and Renaissance clothing colors. It also describes the colors worn by certain members of society.

The meaning of colors is not a simple and exact body of knowledge. Even during the Renaissance and Medieval periods, the meanings of colors were debated (more about this below the list). So, consider yourself forewarned about the vagaries of color symbolism in clothing. The list below, while not comprehensive, does provide ideas from secondary sources about what different colors represented and how they were used.

Reds - Renaissance

High social status, royalty, gentlemen, men of justice. (1)

Worn by judges and similar persons (Scotland, the Holy Roman Empire, England's Court of Common Pleas, occasionally by peers in English Parliament); royal magistrates, king's chancellor (France); high government posts (Venice and Florence). (2)

Cosmopolitan man with access to international trading centers. (3)

Power and prestige. (4)

In the Church, red was a symbol of authority, Pentecostal fire, the blood of Christ, martyrdom, crucifixion, Christian charity. Also, could symbolize the satanic and color of hellfire. (5)

At the universities of Padua and Bologna, red was symbolic of medicine. (6)

Reds - Medieval

'A lover wears vermilion, like blood' (later Middle Ages). (7)

A sign of otherworldly power in European legends and folktales. Also, protection: red thread to ward off witches, red coral necklaces to guard against illness. (8)

Sometimes the color of the Virgin Mary's robes. (5)

The color of kings, identified with kingly virtues of valor and success in war. Also, fire. (9)

A rich man. (10)

Oranges - Renaissance

The peasants and middle ranked persons imitated upper class reds by dyeing their Renaissance clothes with cheaper orange-red and russet dyes. (11)

Oranges - Medieval - nothing currently noted.

Greens - Renaissance

Youth, especially in May. (6)

In the secular sphere, chastity. (14)

Love and joy. (4)

Greens - Medieval - nothing currently noted.

Browns - Renaissance

Modest and religious dress. (19)

Beige was the color of poverty. (20)

In England, dull browns were worn by lower classes. (15)

Browns - Medieval - nothing currently noted.

Grays - Medieval

Color of peasant clothing (eighth century, by order of Charlemagne). (21)

Blacks - Renaissance

Seriousness. (22)

Mourning. (6)

Color of clothing for nobility and wealthy, representing refinement and distinction. (23)

Worn by Philip the Good, Duke of Burgandy after 1419 as a symbol to the French that he did not forget the death of his father. "His black is at once dangerous, retributive . . ." (24)

Painting of Philip the Good, Duke of Burgundy by Rogier van der Weyden, from a dedication page of the Chroniques de Hainault, 1400-1464. [Public domain], via Wikimedia.(25)

Worn by king's ministers as a sign of their selves being submitted to the will of the king. Also, symbolizes defeat, humiliation and humility. (26)

In the 1400s, black began to suggest smartness, importance, sophistication, great dignity and state. Also, sad, melancholy, a humble color worn by mourners and monks. An expensive color to produce indicating social distinction and thus not worn by the lower classes. (26)

In the 1400s, merchants regularly wear black. (27)

Traditional color of Venice, and attributed to piety and virtue. Piety, to a Venetian, was that which increased the empire. (28)

A high fashion color in the mid-1500s. (29)

A Venetian senator wore black. (13)

In Genoa, Italy, the Doge and aristocracy wore black. (6)

In England, lower class women wore primarily black. (15)

Blacks - Medieval

Black worn by a melancholy lover yearning with love. (7)

Color of peasant clothing (eighth century, by order of Charlemagne). Note that the quality of black may not be the same as the black referenced above for the Renaissance period, thus less expensive and accessible to peasants. (21)

According to Pope Innocent III about 1200, black is color of penance and mourning, used for Advent and Lent. (30)

The color of mourning in Brittany. (6)

Why Color Symbols are not Always in Agreement

Color symbolism during the Renaissance and Medieval periods has much in common with color symbolism today. Consider, for example, the current meanings of colors. In present-day U.S. culture, black is usually associated with mourning, unless it is in the form of a little, black cocktail dress in which case it signifies sophistication and elegance. White means purity in the form of a wedding dress, unless you are in China or Japan where it means mourning. Blue is for feeling sad unless you win a blue first prize ribbon. Green is for youth and it also means 'go' at a stoplight. (34) Stop at red and yet on Valentine's Day send your loved one a red heart. (35)

In a similar manner, the symbolic meanings of color during the Renaissance and Medieval periods differed over time, and depended on local culture and geographic area. As John Gage points out in his book Color and Meaning, colour-perceptions are unstable, making it difficult to confidently name colour-meanings and preferences in cultures. (36)

The primary problem for students of the Renaissance and Medieval era is a lack of universally agreed-upon symbols. Not only was there more than one system of color symbols in place, but the different systems contradicted each other. For instance, "The regal purple of Christ's robe may be the same as the scarlet of sin."(37) Or another example, in the 1500s, writers in Venice, Italy ". . . began to compare the various opinions and to find that they had very little in common. In a series of dialogues on love, where, of course, the expressive force of colours was seen to play a vital role, Mario Equicola in 1525 admitted the dangers of talking of colours at all, because of the differences in ancient and modern terms and because different authorities gave different equivalents for the colours of the elements or the planets; worse, 'the meanings of colours are somewhat different among the Italians, the Spanish and the French'. . . An assortment of colours according to their meaning, said Morato, might even have a very disagreeable aesthetic effect."(38)

Nevertheless, it is possible to see that some colors were considered more valuable and had more significant meanings than others. Often these were the colors with high economic value, like red and purple. Since, the economic values tended to be the same for much of Europe, general conclusions can be drawn. However, if historical accuracy for clothing colors is important, then focusing a particular region and time period is recommended.

Sources

1. Jill Condra, ed., The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History, vol. 2, 1501-1800 (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008), 17 -18. Available from http://books.google.com/. Internet. Accessed 4 June 2009.

2. Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red: Empire, Espionage, and the Quest for the Color of Desire (New York: HarperCollins Publishers, 2005), 25.

3. Lisa Jardine, Worldly Goods: A New History of the Renaissance (New York: Doubleday, 1996), 31.

4. Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red . . ., 19.

5. Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red . . ., 22.

6. Jill Condra, ed., The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History, vol. 2 . . ., 18.

7. John Harvey, Men in Black (Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 1995), 51.

8. Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red . . ., 21.

9. Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red . . ., 23.

10. Georges Duby and Philippe Aries, eds., A History of Private Life: Revelations of the Medieval World (Cambridge: Belknap Press, 1988), 579.

11. Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red . . ., 27-28.

12. John Gage, Color and Culture: Practice and Meaning from Antiquity to Abstraction (Boston: Bulfinch Press Book, 1993), 63.

13. Georges Duby and Philippe Aries, eds., A History of Private Life: Revelations of the Medieval World. . ., 569.

14. Lisa Jardine, Worldly Goods . . , 15.

15. Paul F. Grendler, ed., Encyclopedia of the Renaissance, vol 2, Clothing, by Sarah Covington (New York: Charles Scribner's Sons in association with the Renaissance Society of America, 1999), 29.

16. John Gage, Color and Meaning: Art, Science, and Symbolism (Berkeley: University of California Press, 1999), 15.

17. Jill Condra, ed., The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History vol. 1, Prehistory to 1500 CE (Westport, Conn.: Greenwood Publishing Group, 2008), 202. Available from http://books.google.com/. Internet. Accessed 7 February 7, 2011.

18. John Gage, Color and Meaning . . ., 57.

19. Jill Condra, ed., The Greenwood Encyclopedia of Clothing Through World History, vol. 2 . . ., 17.

20. Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red . . ., 9.

21. Amy Butler Greenfield, A Perfect Red . . ., 10.

22. Victoria Finlay, Color: A Natural History of the Palette (New York: Ballantine Books, 2002), 97.

23. John Gage, Color and Meaning . . ., 31.

24. John Harvey, Men in Black . . ., 52 - 54.

25. http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fichier:Van_der_weyden_miniature.jpg

26. John Harvey, Men in Black . . ., 55.

27. John Harvey, Men in Black . . ., 63.

28. John Harvey, Men in Black . . ., 67-68.

29. John Gage, Color and Meaning . . ., 50.

30. John Gage, Color and Meaning . . ., 70.

32. John Gage, Color and Culture. . . ., 63.

33. Georges Duby and Philippe Aries, eds., A History of Private Life: Revelations of the Medieval World . . ., 580.

34. Pearson Education, Inc., "What Colors Mean," Fact Monster, 2007 [on-line article]; available from http://www.factmonster.com/ipka/A0769383.html; Internet; accessed 18 June 2009.

35. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., "Color Symbolism," 18 November 2010 [on-line article]; available from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Color_symbolism; Internet; accessed 19 January 2011.

36. John Gage, Color and Meaning . . ., 33.

37. John Gage, Color and Culture . . ., 83.

38. John Gage, Color and Culture . . ., 120.

Thank you for reading my blog about Renaissance clothing!

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.title
The Meaning of Renaissance and Medieval Clothing Colors

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
This post is designed to meet the needs of people looking for the symbolic meanings of Medieval and Renaissance clothing colors. It also describes the colors worn by certain members of society. The meaning of colors is not a simple and exact body of knowledge.

# data[].attributes.body
A link describing the common jobs during the Renaissance.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a link for a list of last names.

# data[].attributes.body
Here is a link for popular first names during the Renaissance. You

# data[].attributes.attachment_link.description
Dates in this period can vary because 10 days were dropped from the calendar after 1582 to make the church holidays occur in the proper seasons. Italy, Portugal, Spain, France, and the Roman Catholic German states adopted the "New Style" dates in 1583. England used the "Old Style" Julian Calendar until 1752.