The Different Styles Behind Masquerade Masks

When you think of masquerade masks you think of great celebrations, balls, carnivals, events, parties and celebrations. They have been around for centuries and in every era people have enjoyed these mysterious pieces. The word masquerade stands for mystery and intrigue. It is meant to be when someone disguises themselves or takes the appearance of someone else.These celebrations were mainly thrown for the rich and wealthy of the time. They used the masks to disguise themselves because if they wanted to socialize with a lower class person they would not receive the repercussions for such an act. As the wealthy society started to fall so did the use of these.When it was used a lot of people did not like it because it meant the common people could mix with the wealthy. The masks were used for making deals such as financial and sexual deals. Some like this idea because they could exchange money or have an affair without anyone knowing or suspecting.There were thousands of designs but just four main types. These main types included the half face masks, the full face, the head and the stick masks. The most popular style worn was the bauta. This style covers three quarters of the face and can be worn by men or women.The four types are full face, head, half face and the stick design. The full face design covered the entire face and was very hard for the operator to function. There were two holes cut out for the eyes but only some had a mouth hole. The ones that did not have a mouth hole would leave the person behind the masks voice muffled, and the user could not eat or drink without removing the entire mask.The half face design was probably the most practical. The user could eat, drink and talk without having any type of complications. The mask was designed to cover just the upper half of the face, such as the temples and the eyes. A person could be more easily identified but the benefits outweighed the negatives.The head mask looked similar to a helmet. It was put on the head and worn as a single piece. This style looked more elegant because hair accessories could be used to complete the look. This type was also impractical because eating and drinking was very difficult.The head mask was placed on the top of the head and resembled a helmet. Many accessories can be used to make this piece look more luxurious and complete. The only downfall is that you could not eat or drink while wearing it.This fun act of hidden identity was popular long ago and has returned to modern times and is just as popular. Today, these masquerade masks can be purchased at any type of store or online. Most of these are inexpensive and more modern looking. The mask itself stand for mystery and most everyone likes a good mystery.