These seasonal revelries came to an end in 1805 when Venice fell under the temporary rule of Napoleon, who didn't approve. To warm the spirit if not the ears of its visitors, Venice stages 10 pre-Lenten days of parades, pageants, street shows and gala balls in which masks and costumes are starring attractions. In earlier centuries, Venice was a city divided by rigid social barriers, says maskmaker Gualtiero Dall'osto of Tragicomica, who markets masks to theatrical and ballet companies as well as to Carnival-goers and tourists. We have not yet made it to Carnival in Venice, but even in fall the city's ubiquitous masks give it the look of an ongoing costume ball. But I am a tourist, and our souvenir mask has reminded Sandy and me day after day just how much we enjoy Venice.
Most cultures make use of masks, often for ceremonial purposes.
Some maskmakers, we learned, favor the city's traditional masks. Other maskmakers, however, have gone modern in the faces they design while still hand crafting the masks in the old way. As a result, you can find elaborate masks adorned in jewels and feathers that look like something out of a Hollywood musical extravaganza of the 1940s. Many are purposely designed for display rather than wear. Our Oriental princess, minus the jewels and feathers, fits into this category.