The mystery behind the mask @_@

 Ever familiar with one of these? I don't believe there's anyone who wouldn't know what these masquerade masks are. 

These masks were depicted as a doorway into a world of eerie magic, mystery and intrigue. The tradition of wearing masks was started in Venice, Italy. Worn during the Venetian Carnivals, these served as a way to protect the wearer's identity. And not only that, people loved swarming the carnivals decked in beguiling ball gowns with lavish seams, plus these masks to add a spice of enigma. These absolutely stunning pieces of art, decked with glitter and paint of gold or silver, and pieces of colored paper or even decorated with eye catching, myriad colored sequins, paint, feathers and so on, in the native baroque style. But do you know the history behind these deadly beauties? 

I'm sure we're all familiar with the minor tragedy called the Black Plague that ravaged and diminished the population of Europe in the 13th century. The doctors who attended to the plague victims, wore these unique yet bizarre masks to distinguish themselves, so that people knew who to avoid. Plague doctors typically wore simpler masks, the redeeming feature being the long curved beak like structure, resembling a bird, that extended to a greater length, when compared to the rest of the body.

Such is the sphinx-like yet oddly enchanting tale of the Venetian Masquerade masks, one which makes us ponder over the phrase 'Never judge a book by its cover'. The only reason I learned about them can to satisfy my curiosity when my cousin and I went shopping one evening and stumbled about these delightful masks. I was pleasantly surprised to learn about their fascinating history. And the wonderful thing about them is that they're actually quite easy to make with a few regular arts and craft articles that you can buy from your nearby shops.

I hope you enjoyed reading this tiny piece of interesting history. Here's a piece of me and my cousin wearing the masks that we purchased. 

Have a crazy weekend :) <3

~L.O.L

-Jabber Emi.