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Columbia Encyclopedia entry: mask
Mask, cover or partial cover for the face or head used as a disguise or protection. Masks have been worn from time immemorial throughout the world. They are used by primitive peoples chiefly to impersonate supernatural beings or animals in religious and magical ceremonies. Particularly notable are the masks of W and central Africa; the wooden masks of the Native Americans of NW North America, which sometimes represented totemic animals; the False Face Society of the Iroquois, whose masked dancers were thought to ward off evil spirits; and the gold and turquoise-mosaic masks of Aztec warriors and priests. Masks have always been especially important in drama, and their use has been continued into modern times. They are an integral part of Japanese drama, especially of the No plays, and of Chinese temple dramas (see Asian drama). The many masks used in ancient Greek drama represented the character being portrayed by the actor and were constructed to portray a fixed emotion such as grief or rage. Greek masks had metallic mouthpieces that enhanced the resonance of an actor's voice. The use of masks was preserved in the Roman theater, passed into the early Italian theater, and was a characteristic device of the commedia dell'arte. The mask was used in the miracle dramas of the Middle Ages and appeared in the 20th cent. in the works of the German expressionist playwrights and in Eugene O'Neill's plays The Great God Brown and Lazarus Laughed. The making of death masks (reproduction of the face of a dead person) is an ancient practice. Roman death masks were made of wax, and Egyptian death masks of thin gold plate. The modern method first applies oil or grease to the face and next a coat of plaster of paris, which is permitted to harden and is then removed. This procedure results in a mold that is used to cast the mask. Although a similar process was used for life masks, it often proved dangerous to the sitter and unsatisfactory in results. Protective masks include those used by medieval horsemen, gas masks, surgeon's masks, and masks used in certain athletic events. See African art; North American Native art; masque.

See R. Sieber, Masks as Agents of Social Control (1962); J. Gregor, Masks of the World (1937, repr. 1968); A. Lommel, Masks (tr. 1972), W. Sorrell, The Other Face (1974).

The Columbia Encyclopedia. Copyright © 2001-09 Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

Wikipedia search results for: Mask
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A mask is an article normally worn on the face, typically for protection, concealment, performance, or amusement. Masks have been used since antiquity for both ceremonial and practical purposes. They are usually worn on the face, although they may also be positioned for effect elsewhere on the wearer's body, so in parts of Australia giant totem masks cover the body, whilst Inuit women use finger masks during storytelling and dancing. The word "mask" came via French masque and either Italian maschera or Spanish máscara. Possible ancestors are Latin mascus, masca = "ghost"; Hebrew masecha= "mask"; Arabic...more »
Columbia Encyclopedia search results: mask
Results 1 - 10  of 113
  • gas mask

    Gas mask, face covering or device used to protect the wearer from injurious gases and other noxious materials by filtering and purifying inhaled air. In addition to military use (see chemical ...

  • resuscitator

    Resuscitator, device used to revive a person whose normal breathing has been disrupted. Several types are in wide use. The automatic tank resuscitator consists of a face mask that fits tightly...

  • Benda, Wladyslaw Theodor

    Benda, Wladyslaw Theodor, 1873–1948, Polish American painter and illustrator, b. Poland. He studied at the Art Academy in Cracow and in Vienna, San Francisco, and New York City. In addition to...

  • commedia dell'arte

    Commedia dell'arte, popular form of comedy employing improvised dialogue and masked characters that flourished in Italy from the 16th to the 18th cent. The characters or masks, in spite of cha...

  • African art

    African art, art created by the peoples south of the Sahara.The predominant art forms are masks and figures, which were generally used in religious ceremonies. The decorative arts, especially ...

  • kachina

    Kachina, spirit of the invisible life forces of the Pueblo of North America. The kachinas, or kachinam, are impersonated by elaborately costumed masked male members of the tribes who visit Pue...

  • Browere, John Henri Isaac

    Browere, John Henri Isaac, 1792–1834, American sculptor, b. New York City, studied painting in New York under Archibald Robertson and sculpture in Europe. He is known for his life masks, many ...

  • Connemara

    Connemara, wild, mountainous region, Co. Galway, W Republic of Ireland, lying between the Atlantic Ocean and Loughs Corrib and Mask. Many mountains, lakes, streams, and glens help make it a we...

  • Corrib, Lough

    Corrib, Lough, lake, 68 sq mi (176 sq km), Counties Galway and Mayo, W Republic of Ireland. The irregularly shaped lake, which is 27 mi (43 km) long, drains into Galway Bay through the Corrib ...

  • Crommelynck, Fernand

    Crommelynck, Fernand, 1885?–1970, Belgian dramatist, b. Paris. Crommelynck's first great success was a tragic farce about jealousy, Le Cocu magnifique (1921, tr. The Magnificent Cuckold, 1966)...

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