Wide view of Venice: Piazza San Marco - Riva degli Schiavoni

VOLTO - LARVA

(Face - Ghost mask)

Watercolor by Giovanni Grevembroch: "Nobile in Maschera"
Giovanni Grevembroch: "Nobile in Maschera"
pen, ink & watercolor (18th century)
Museo Correr, Venezia

"Volto" (face) is another way of calling the Bauta, but it is not totally correct in the end.

It is also called "Larva", with the meaning of "ghost", as it gives an eerie appearance to the person wearing it, just imagine ... at night, under a full moon ... in those narrow streets ...

As we may see here, playing cards are scattered on the ground. Just to make it clear how Carnival and Gambling went together.

Volto means "face" in Italian, to show that is was the most common, simplest mask. But we have the womens' version too, that is more feminine.


Feminine version of the "Volto" mask.
One couldn't eat or drink with it, but it was definitely much more feminine

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