[1] From: brenda danet <msdanet@pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il> (23)
Subject: query on masks and masquerade in 17th-19th century
Italy
Having just returned to Jerusalem from the carnival in Venice, and a
conference there on "Masquerade and Gendered Identity", I am curious to
learn more about masks and masquerade in 17th-19th-century Italy.
Material on this topic might prove stimulating for my current research
interest in the masking of gender identity on the Internet.
Apparently, carnival once extended to six months, and both men and women
wore masks and cloaks not only in the Piazza San Marco, but in cafes,
gambling clubs, and the theater. Masks may thus have been worn not only on
special ritualized occasions but as part of everyday life. What were the
functions of masks? Were they worn only to neutralize status differences, or
did they serve other functions too? Did men and women use them differently?
>From what I've learned, both men and women used a white mask called the
_bauta_, usually worn with a tricorn hat and a long cloak. Did they wear the
same complete costume? Were men and women nevertheless identifiable as such?
Resources on the World Wide Web appear meager on this topic. I would
appreciate any leads people may provide; please write to me privately. Thanks.
Brenda Danet
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Brenda Danet
Dept. of Sociology & Anthropology, Dept. of Communication & Journalism
Hebrew University of Jerusalem Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel 91905
E-mail: msdanet@pluto.mscc.huji.ac.il
Telephone: 972-2-883206/881063(W); 972-2-723262(H); Fax: 972-2-827069
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