European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - February 2, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Columbina harlequin Pulcinella Cecca Meneghini brighella Bilanzone Caknip Al characters of Venice Capitano Fracassa Gia Duia Pantalone Sugantino stent Erello Story and illustrations by Alba Bragoli Mediterranean Bureau for nearly a thousand years even through plagues and wars visitors from All Over Europe have flocked to Venice to join its fabled carnival merrymaking. Disguise has been the festival s uncontested ruler for a mask allows the wearer to play out roles that otherwise would be impossible. Behind masks Kings could mingle with commoners peasants could mock the Rich and women could go places where they were not ordinarily allowed. In the 18th Century during Venice s heyday As a Rich trading City the favorite disguises were those of the Commedia Dell arte comedy of arts harlequin Pantaloon brighella Columbine Pulcinella and All the traditional characters who animated the playhouses of Venice. The rebirth of the venetian carnival during the last decade has also seen a rebirth of interest in the traditional masks and costumes harlequin he s the venetian servant who wears a Diamond patterned costume of Many colors and a Small Black mask. With comic language and Ballet like movements he tries to outwit his master and steal food to appease his voracious appetite. Harlequin Seldom gets away with his naive schemes and often ends up getting the business end of the stick he carries around for his defense. Columbina she s the servant girl or sometimes the master s daughter who is innocent pretty and kindhearted. She often gets drawn into harlequin s schemes and she is usually the one who helps him out of the resulting troubles. Pulcinella he s the neapolitan version of harlequin decked out in an ample White costume peaked Cap and Black mask with a big hooked nose. Greedy and Lazy and equipped with the gift of gab Pulcinella unlike his Northern Cousin always finds a Way to cheat his master out of the Spaghetti for which he has such an insatiable hunger. Meneghini this fellow from the Milan Region is a hard worker and seems the perfect servant on the surface but he is subversive underneath. He gains control of the House and Maneu vers his master any Way he likes. He wears a proper White shirt dark jacket and shiny Black shoes. Cecca she is Meneghini s wife a housemaid who helps him in his plots. Brighella mischievous and fun Loving he is the practical joker who enjoys plotting intricate pranks. But he s also Loyal and Good hearted and sets things straight before they get out of hand. Bilanzone he is the Learned lawyer from Bologna the site of Europe s oldest University who wears Rich clothes of velvet and lace. His speech lofty and incomprehensible is a mixture of dialect and latin. His servants mock him and Rob him Blind. Capitano Fracassa he is a pompous military Man who thinks he knows everything yet accomplishes nothing. His costume is spangled with Gold stripes and topped with a plumed hat. He bears a huge sword As big As his ego but when he attempts to use it he can t even swing it around. Gia Duia he is a Farmer from the Turin Region. Even when he dresses up his peasant origins come through. He is witty calculating and has a weakness for Good red wine As red As his glowing nose and Cheeks. His costume is a yellow Waistcoat Brown pants red socks and Muddy shoes. Pantalone he is the Rich merchant of Venice. He is tight and a complainer but full of knowledge and common sense. He wears red shirt and pants Black Greatcoat a Long pointed Beard and a mask with a Long pointed nose. Sometimes Pantalone is portrayed As a doctor with herbs stuffed in the beak of his mask to protect him from the fumes of disease. Sugantino he is the troublemaker from Rome. He wears a red Vest yellow pants striped socks and a red hat. He is arrogant and loud mouthed but he is also kindhearted with the less fortunate and ready to go to Bat in the name of Justice. Stent Erello he is the Happy go Lucky Salesman who can talk up a storm and should t be trusted. He loves women and Good food and can weasel his Way to any parlor or table. He wears a jacket with Check ered cuffs a yellow Waistcoat with Green dots and socks of different colors. Clockwise from upper left two versions on a weeping Clown mask two Man in the Moon masks h. Jafari Ahmad paints a Large mask and Gooch Ziadeh Mamud prepares a Clay Model. Making the masks Story and photos by Alba Bragoli Mediterranean Bureau the counter is a Jumble of paper glue plaster colors and brushes. With the exception of a few electric bulbs the mask makers shop looks just As it might have in the 18th Century. It s an ancient Craft that goes Back As far As the history of Man himself says h. Jafari Ahmad who has worked for the past 15 years with his Friend Gooch Ziadeh Mamud making masks in the shop called Alice be Masc Here in Florence Italy. Man has always loved to play at being somebody else Ahmad says. Masks help to play out roles without having to feel  in ancient civilizations masks were used mostly for religious rituals. Aztecs covered the faces of idols with masks to heighten their Power. Egyptians equipped " their departed with funerary masks to ensure a peaceful passage into the world of the dead. But greeks used masks in their theater to represent the Range of human emotions and in Italy masks have been associated with the merrymaking of the carnival season for Many centuries. During the Renaissance Italy s Best artists created masks of papier mache often decorated with feathers Gold Leaf or even precious stones. The fancy masks were worn at licentious carnival balls that often attracted the condemnation of the Church says Mamud but catholicism condones the purge before Lent and people kept right on using fancy masks and misbehaving at carnival  during the 18th Century when venetian carnival masquerades were famous throughout Europe Many artisans made their living with papier mache masks. In 19th Century carnival merrymaking began to lose its Luster and Early in the 20th Century mask making became an almost forgotten Art. In the Early 70s, Ahmad and Mamud arrived in Florence to study architecture. They became part time apprentices of an italian mask maker then one of the few still practising the Craft. In the beginning it was just an interesting Way to earn pocket Money. By the time we earned our degrees the political situation in Iran kept us from returning Home and we went into mask making for survival says Ahmad. At about that time a renewed interest in the rites of carnival  new life on the embers of the traditional Craft and Alice be Masc Here is now one of the Foremost mask making workshops of Italy. We Are now teaching apprentices from All Over the world. We even had mask making workshops in new Orleans and san Francisco says Ahmed. Making papier mache masks in the traditional Way requires much artistic Talent says Mamud. You have to sculpt a master of the mask in Clay he explains. Then you make a plaster Mold and line it with layers of paper and glue. When the mask is dry you have to paint it and decorate  it s a lengthy and Messy process but mask making is a wonderful creative Art limited Only by the fantasy of its creator Ahmad says. We give a face to people s  12 stripes Magazine february 2, 1989 february 2, 1989 stripes Magazine 13