Identifying the difference between the actual Venetian Mask and its imitations

When searching websites that sell Halloween costumes, it is seen that most of the time, Italian craftsmen are the ones to make the Venetian masks. But the question of what masks are originals and what ones are not naturally arises. If you have travelled to Venice, you would have noticed that the masks they have are much better and elegant than the ones found in online stores.   

But it is not practical to travel all the way to Venice, just to see what Venetian Masks are originals and what are not. But then you may sometimes wonder how it is that one should recognize the original and its fake, or imitation. This question is not something easy to answer. Similar to all ancient artifacts, imitations of Halloween Costumes have also hit the streets of Italy and plague the Italians a lot. Most of these fakes come from China.

The Chinese are experts of copying originals and even improve them with features that even the originals did not have. It is the same with Halloween Costumes as well because these masks are also constantly improved to look like the original in every way possible. The methods of construction and the materials used will however be of poor standard.

Since the original Venetian Mask is purely handcrafted at every phase of its manufacture, it has a higher sentimental value as well. The stuff mostly incorporated into these masks is specially treated paper which is placed to the shape of plaster molds to finish its manufacture. Once this stage is over, the decorations are done at the Asciugatasi phase.    

Even decorations to these elegant HalloweenCostumes are done by hand, using many paint brushes to complete the process. The derations of masks are able to give them separate personalities and are especially able to be given faces that enhance the Swarovski element or a face similar to the Joker. Other masks can be decorated to many other designs such as the 17^th century Venice Baroque or the face of the physician of the plague. But you will find that the decorations of these masks will not be as elegant when compared to their historic origins.

The invention of the “Physician of the plague” Venetian Mask was a physician named Charles De Lormar of France. He was a physician of the 15^th century and this mask was mostly seen used by Venetian medical doctors during epidemics that came from time to time such as bacterial plagues. A filter consisting of various herbs, salts, and disinfectants was inserted in to the long shaped nose of the mask. That is how these masks became Halloween Costumes in the first place.

The imitation Halloween Costumes of China however, are just an industrial product and has nothing involved in the craft. The mask itself is machine made to a certain block and will have a number of differences when compared to the original. The main difference will be the rough finish it comprises of and also will not be of the Baroque style.