威尼斯面具自由、狂歡與藝術

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.

威尼斯假面舞會的面具是這座城市的文化象征。游客們潮水般涌入威尼斯的各個露天廣場和水道，尋找曾經彌漫在空氣中的神秘文化。這些富有表現力又極具裝飾性的面具是這里歷史聞名的慶祝活動的一部分。威尼斯面具的故事可以追溯到13世紀。

威尼斯的居民們締造了一種獨特的文化——在日常生活和活動中隱藏自己的身份尤為重要，而面具起到了隱藏佩戴者身份和社會地位的作用。這種神神秘秘的舉動，其實部分是出于實際考慮：你想做某些事情或見某些人，但是你可能并不想讓別人知道你在做什么交易。畢竟，這個城市相對還是較小的。

此外，面具還起到了重要的社會作用：實現人人平等。戴上面具之后，仆人可以被誤認為是貴族，反之亦然。國家的審訊官或間諜可以向居民提問，而無需擔心暴露自己的真正身份（且居民在回答提問時也不必擔心受到責罰）。人們的尊嚴由于使用面具而得到了維護——因為看不到臉（隱藏了真實身份），大家也就敢暢所欲言了。

然而，這座城市陷入了驕奢淫逸、好逸惡勞和道德敗壞的境地。因此，除了在一年中某些特定的月份之內，人們在日常生活中被禁止佩戴面具。最終，威尼斯面具成為了威尼斯嘉年華的標志，再次進入人們的視線。威尼斯嘉年華始于15世紀，參加者均佩戴面具。如今，這一節日已成為這座城市舉辦的世界最知名的盛事，也是歷史最悠久的嘉年華之一。

威尼斯嘉年華舉辦之時，街道上滿是戴面具的人，沒人能分辨出貴族與平民。……