BAUTA (Bautta)
The Bauta is to be considered the traditional venetian mask, the one mostly used to cover your features, made in a way that it is still possible to eat and drink without having to take it off.
The
Bauta is always white, and it is not only a Carnival mask, in the sense in those times it could also be used all year long, to protect one's identity. It consisted not only of the mask covering the
face, but the finely woven lace, and the black hat with three tips (tricorno).
The name bauta does not have up to now, a definite interpretation: it may came from the German "behüten"(to protect), as well as from "bau" (or "babau"), typical Italian
representation of the monster, or bad beast, used by adults to scare children. "Se non stai bravo viene il babau e ti porta via … (if you do not behave, the babau will come and take you away …)"
In a way, the Bauta was some kind of a leveler. All ages, all social statuses could get together, all of them wearing a mask and concealing their true identity. It was mandatory all year long for
women who went to the theater and forbidden to girls waiting to be married.
Light and confortable, because of the narrow nose, the maskssort of modifies the voice pitch, and of course romantic
encounters were a lot simplified, this way …
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