学文网The masquerade mask of Venice is the cultural symbol of the city. Travelers now flood the piazzas and canals of Venice searching for the mystical culture that once filled the air. These expressive and decorative masks are part of an entire festival that holds strong historic ground. The story of Venetian masks dates back to the 13th century.
The citizens of Venice developed a unique culture―one in which the concealing of the identity in daily life became extremely important to daily activity. A mask served as a device for hiding the wearer’s identity and social status. Part of the secrecy was pragmatic there were things to do， people to see， and perhaps you might not want others to know what deals you were cutting. After all， the city was relatively small.
Additionally， the masks served an important social purpose of keeping every citizen on an equal playing field. Masked， a servant could be mistaken for a nobleman―or vice versa. State inquisitors and spies could question citizens without fear of their true identity being discovered（and citizens could answer without fear of punishment）. The dignity of the people was maintained through the use of masks―for with no faces， everyone had voices.
However， the city fell into a state of luxury， indolence， and moral decay. As a result， the wearing of masks in daily life was banned and limited only to certain months of the year. Eventually， Venetian masks re-emerged as the symbol of Venetian Carnival―a gathering of masked people in the 15th century. The Venice Carnival is the most internationally known festival celebrated in Venice， as well as being one of the oldest.
The streets of Venice Carnival were full of people in masks， and no difference could be made between nobility and the common people. Generally， the costume worn was a cloak with a long-nosed mask. Also popular were masked couples， where a man and a woman would dress as allegorical characters.
In the squares street-artists and singers entertain with songs and music from their guitars， the guests of the Venice Carnival.
Although Venetian Carnival lost popularity as Venice’s cultural production faltered during the Enlightenment， it was officially reintroduced in 1979.
The modern celebration of Venetian Carnival has reinvigorated the art and craft of making Venetian masks. These masks continue to dazzle tourists， dancers， and pageant participants during Carnival and year round.
Originally mask-makers used two different methods. Papier mache was the first method which combined glue and paper strips to form the shape of the mask. These masks were generally designed to be held by a stick and to only cover the eyes. In order to create full-face masks， the artists used clay to produce moulds.
The original masks were symbolic and simple. Over time， masquerade masks became more and more complex. Venetian masks are characterised by their ornate design， featuring bright colours such as gold or silver and the use of complex decorations in the baroque style.
Colour was a significant part of the design. Bright blues， reds， yellows， oranges and greens were the most common choices. Generally， males would wear darker colours while women would wear lighter ones. Customised masks were also possible， resulting in a vast array of unique masquerade masks.
Venetian mask-makers use a variety of materials and techniques for decoration of their glorious masks. Acrylic paints， gold and silver leaf， macramé lace， beads， glitter， precious fabrics， feathers， tarot cards， metal ornaments， Swarovski crystal pieces， semiprecious jewels， leather and more.
Since the late 20th century， masquerade masks have become part of the artistic and craft-making culture of Italy as well as other countries. The masquerade mask is not only a historic and traditional part of culture， but it is also a tourist attraction in modern times.
威尼斯假面舞会的面具是这座城市的文化象征。游客们潮水般涌入威尼斯的各个露天广场和水道，寻找曾经弥漫在空气中的神秘文化。这些富有表现力又极具装饰性的面具是这里历史闻名的庆祝活动的一部分。威尼斯面具的故事可以追溯到13世纪。
威尼斯的居民们缔造了一种独特的文化――在日常生活和活动中隐藏自己的身份尤为重要，而面具起到了隐藏佩戴者身份和社会地位的作用。这种神神秘秘的举动，其实部分是出于实际考虑：你想做某些事情或见某些人，但是你可能并不想让别人知道你在做什么交易。毕竟，这个城市相对还是较小的。
此外，面具还起到了重要的社会作用：实现人人平等。戴上面具之后，仆人可以被误认为是贵族，反之亦然。国家的审讯官或间谍可以向居民提问，而无需担心暴露自己的真正身份（且居民在回答提问时也不必担心受到责罚）。人们的尊严由于使用面具而得到了维护――因为看不到脸（隐藏了真实身份），大家也就敢畅所欲言了。
然而，这座城市陷入了骄奢***逸、好逸恶劳和道德败坏的境地。因此，除了在一年中某些特定的月份之内，人们在日常生活中被禁止佩戴面具。最终，威尼斯面具成为了威尼斯嘉年华的标志，再次进入人们的视线。威尼斯嘉年华始于15世纪，参加者均佩戴面具。如今，这一节日已成为这座城市举办的世界最知名的盛事，也是历史最悠久的嘉年华之一。
威尼斯嘉年华举办之时，街道上满是戴面具的人，没人能分辨出贵族与平民。通常，人们在嘉年华上穿的服装是一件斗篷，配上一个长鼻子面具。戴着面具的夫妻或是情侣们装扮成寓言中的人物，这在嘉年华上也非常普遍。
在广场上，街头艺术家和流浪歌手们用歌声和吉他的乐声娱乐前来参加嘉年华的客人们。
在启蒙运动期间，威尼斯的文化创作停滞不前，威尼斯嘉年华也风光不再，然而到了1979年，嘉年华又正式得以恢复。
现代威尼斯嘉年华的庆祝活动使得面具艺术和制作工艺重新焕发了青春。在嘉年华期间，抑或平时，这些面具都能让游客、舞者和盛装游行的人们为之倾倒。
最初，面具工匠们采用两种不同的制作方法。第一种方法是用混凝纸浆，这种方法用胶水和纸板制作出面具的形状。这样制作出来的面具通常都要由一根手柄来支撑，而且只能遮住眼睛。为了制作出遮住整个脸部的面具，面具艺术家们开始使用黏土来做铸模。
最初的面具是具有象征意义的，样式也很简单。随着时间的推移，假面舞会上的面具变得越来越复杂。威尼斯面具以其华美的设计见长，充分运用了金、银等鲜艳的色彩和巴洛克式的复杂装饰。
颜色是面具设计中相当重要的一部分。明艳的蓝色、红色、黄色、橙色和绿色是最常见的选择。通常，男人会佩戴颜色较深的面具，而女人则佩戴颜色较浅的面具。也可以按照个人的需求定制面具，于是就有了很多独一无二的假面面具。
威尼斯的面具工匠们在装饰他们华美的面具时使用了多种材料和工艺，其中包括丙烯酸颜料、金叶（比金箔薄）、银叶、流苏花边、有孔小珠、亮片、考究的织物、羽毛、塔罗牌、金属饰品、施华洛世奇水晶物件、次等珠宝以及皮革等等。
自20世纪末以来，假面舞会的面具已经成为意大利乃至世界其他国家工艺制作文化的一部分。假面舞会的面具不仅仅是历史文化和传统文化的一部分，如今对游客也具有极大的吸引力。
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