Bauta Mask

The Bauta is a traditional Venetian design, a mask intended expressly for disguise. The frogmouth, angled away from the face while still shielding it from view, allowed the wearer to eat, drink, and otherwise use his or her mouth while maintaining the disguise; the shape also alters the wearer's voice slightly, changing the timbre so as to further decrease the chances of being recognized.

Colors are a porcelain-matte white with a plain black ribbon - as traditional as possible. (A black ribbon would have been a common item for the tying of wigs during the early 1700s, a period during which this mask would have been at the height of its popularity.)

This variation is my own, on a traditional design - I wanted to make the Bauta more facelike and thus rounded the mouth and extended the philtrum to the point.* I have also sculpted the brow and forehead into a slightly furrowed shape. Unfortunately, white paint doesn't photograph very well - the good news is I plan on making more and in less traditional, more festive colors, so there will be more photographs on the way.

*A note of interest: apparently this was considered an erogenous zone in classical times. I didn't realize this when I made it, but it would probably have been considered slightly obscene - probably about on a par with the Gran Naso styles of Italy with their long phallic noses. So on the other hand, that fits the theme all the better, doesn't it?

Feel free to drop me a note if you want one (dA non-users, click here.)