1. Carnival masks are documented in Venice as far back as the 1200s, but the 1500s was the heyday of the art.
2. Traditional mask-makers craft a model from clay or stucco, which they can use again for future creations.
3. Many masks are made from papier-mache, which is molded over the clay form and left to dry, then sanded and hand-painted.
4. Formulaic characters like Harlequin and Zanni trace their origins to the once-popular Commedia dell’Arte theater troupe.
5. Today, a handful of artisans make masks in the traditional way in hole-in-the-wall studios clustered in the Venetian neighborhoods of San Polo and Dorsoduro.
hello Laura Morelli. I am happy to have found your site and your blog. I am now a follower and will be sharing with my timeline, and the other varied social platforms. Thank you for being here!
kind regards,
Ted Eschuk
http://www.lovetotravelinItaly.com
Hi Ted, and welcome! I’m so glad you’re here!
Hello Laura, I recently discovered and read your book The Gondola Maker (Fantastic!) and now am reading Made in Italy which is wildly entertaining and informative. Since Made in Italy was published in 2003 is there an update on some of the merchants and products, namely do some of them now have websites and/or online purchase/shipping possibilities? Many thanks for your work and I cannot wait to read your other books.
Hi Lorraine,
First of all, many thanks for taking the time and energy to read THE GONDOLA MAKER and MADE IN ITALY! I am sincerely grateful. The second edition of Made in Italy was published in 2008, and you can find it here: http://www.amazon.com/Made-Italy-Shoppers-Artisanal-Traditions/dp/0789316994/ref=la_B001JSD98M_1_3?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1405265646&sr=1-3. All the listings were updated at that time.
Many of the merchants listed in Made in Italy are generations-old enterprises and are not likely to change anytime soon. However, inevitably, others move, close their doors, or as you say, offer online purchasing opportunities that weren’t available in the past. My goal is to make the core content of the book such that you will be able to train your eye to recognize quality and value, no matter where you find your treasure.
I am currently working on updates to the information in the book. I see that you signed up for my email list, so you’ll be the first to know when the updated material is available. Again, many thanks for your feedback and for taking the time to write. –Laura