I'm curious. Are you making a plaster mold to then cover in whatever the mask is made of? What do you use for the base (to build upon)? Sharon, who has made masks, with difficulty, because I didn't have a good base :)
-----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Rachel Sampsel Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 11:24 AM To: [email protected] Subject: [h-cost] Venetian research question - need help Hello, I am new to this list so before I continue, I'd like to introduce myself. My name is Rachel Sampsel and in the SCA my personae name is Raisa Zaplatskaya, also called "Patches." I've been playing in the SCA for a little bit and now I have gotten myself into a bit of a pickle: I've volunteered to run several plaster mask making workshops in anticipation of a masked ball. The organizer of the event would like to focus on a Venetian theme. Ok, no problem with that. The problem comes in when I'm researching Venetian masking traditions PRIOR to the 1600's. I'd like to offer a "brief history of" handout and I'm running into all kinds of problems. I've run across a number of masking sources on the internet, professional suppliers, amateur sites and so on that give a very romantic view of the masking tradition, but don't supply any bibliography. According to these sources, Venice had a strong masking tradition in everyday life prior to 1268 C.E. They swear up and down that it was VERY common for peasants through nobles to wear masks in public anytime they wanted to go about their "business" (legal and illegal) without anyone knowing who they were. These sources also swear that the first of many laws limiting the use of masks occurred in 1268 C.E. to try and put a cap on the illegal activities and moral declination of the city. Some sources hint that these were sumptuary laws and others that they were actual "masking use" laws. These sources don't give me any reference material to work with and when I ask, they point me to another source that is equally frustrating in terms of giving me a bibliography. I have poured through every Venetian history book I can lay my hands on and can't find a single reference to masks in this regard prior to Carnival becoming the city's big money making attraction in the 18th century. Logically, if masks were that widespread, that common and a big enough problem that laws were enacted curtailing their manufacture and use, I should have found it in at least 1 history book, right? I mean, one book I tackled was Venice from 697 - 1797 and could provide socio-economic figures for the city by year and class as well as reported criminal statistics by neighborhood. Theoretically, if masking had become that detrimental to society, it would be deserving of at least a footnote, would it not? So my question is - does anyone have ANY idea on a reputable scholastic source for Venetian masking traditions prior to the 17th century? Is there maybe a database out there with medieval Venetian law codes that I can tear through or maybe a recognized scholarly authority SOMEWHERE on the subject? I really don't want to look like a brainless twit on the subject when people start poppin' questions at me. Any help would be appreciated at this juncture. Patches _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume _______________________________________________ h-costume mailing list [email protected] http://mail.indra.com/mailman/listinfo/h-costume
