Masquerade ball
A masquerade ball (or bal masqué) is a special kind of formal ball which many participants attend in costume wearing masks. (Compare the word "masque"—a formal written and sung court pageant.) Less formal "costume parties" may be a descendant of this tradition. A masquerade ball usually encompasses music and dancing. These nighttime events are used for entertainment and celebrations.[1]
History
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Masquerade balls were a feature of the
Masquerade balls were extended into costumed public festivities in Italy during the 20th century Renaissance (Italian maschera). They were generally elaborate dances held for members of the upper classes, and were particularly popular in
They became popular throughout mainland Europe in the 17th and 18th centuries, sometimes with fatal results. In 1792
A Swiss count who arrived in Italy in 1708, is credited with introducing to London the Venetian fashion of a semi-public masquerade ball, to which one might subscribe, with the first being held at
In Lent, if masquerades displease the town,
Call 'em Ridottos and they still go down.
A standard item of masquerade dress was a "Vandyke", improvised on the costumes worn in the portraits of
Throughout the century, it is thought that masquerade dances became popular in
Masquerade balls were sometimes set as a game among the guests. The masked guests were supposedly dressed so as to be unidentifiable. This would create a type of game to see if a guest could determine each other's identities. This added a humorous effect to many masquerades and enabled a more enjoyable version of typical balls.
One of the most noted masquerade balls of the 20th century was that held at Palazzo Labia in Venice on 3 September 1951, hosted by Carlos de Beistegui. It was dubbed "the party of the century".[5]
Another famous ball was The
Masks
Masquerade masks were worn delicately by the prosperous class at balls. Masquerade masks had many uses including hiding one's identity, and using different colour to express one's freedom of speech and voice one's emotions and opinions without judgement.[1] There were two types of base masquerade masks; black masks and white masks.[7] Designs and patterns were created over the base that was chosen. The main types of masks included masks with a stick (which one could hold to keep the mask in front of their face), the head mask, the full-face mask, and the half face mask.[7] Masquerade masks have been used in classics such as The Phantom of the Opera, Romeo and Juliet, Lone Ranger, and Gossip Girl. They are still used in many types of media today.[8]
Contemporary era
In French Guiana
In French Guiana, throughout the Carnival period, masked balls (known as paré-masked balls) take place every weekend. These are called Touloulous balls, where the Touloulous (women) are completely disguised and unrecognizable. Recently the Tololos (men) have also taken to wearing disguises.[citation needed]
In North America
A new resurgence of masquerade balls began in the late 1990s in North America. More recently, the party atmosphere is emphasized and the formal dancing usually less prominent. In present times, masquerade masks are used for costumes during Halloween. Masquerade masks are sold in a wide range of stores in different designs, and colors.[7]
Cultural references
The picturesque quality of the masquerade ball has made it a favorite topic or setting in literature.
- Edgar Allan Poe's short story "The Masque of the Red Death" is based at a masquerade ball in which a central figure turns out to be his costume.[9]
- A ball in Zürich is featured in the novel Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse.
- A masquerade ball is central to the plot of Mikhail Lermontov's 1835 play Masquerade. The play was censored and never staged during Lermontov's lifetime, partly because of the implied criticism of the masquerade balls staged by the aristocratic Engelhardt family.
- The book, musical and most film adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera have a scene at a masked ball. The Phantom's (Erik's) costume is that of the Red Death from the aforementioned Edgar Allan Poe story The Masque of the Red Death.
- In the play Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare, Romeo meets Juliet at a masquerade ball.
- The video game Dishonored has a mission called Lady Boyle's Last Party, taking place at a masquerade where the primary objective is discerning the identity of Lady Boyle, a masked party-goer.
- The video game Venetian Carnivalwhere the primary objective is to gain access to one of the more prestigious masquerade balls, ending in the mission which primarily takes place in the masquerade ball.
- The video game The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt features a mission set at a masquerade ball, on the Vegelbud estate, where the primary objective is to find the owner's son who is wearing a panther mask.
References
- ^ a b "The History of Masquerade Balls". Avas Flowers. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ Aileen Ribeiro, "The exotic diversion: the dress worn at masquerades in eighteenth-century London", The Connoisseur 197 (January 1978:3–13.
- S2CID 222328221.
- ^ Ribeiro 1978:3.
- ^ Dunne, Dominick (15 September 2008). "All That Glittered". Vanity Fair. Retrieved 18 December 2017.
- ISBN 978-0-470-09821-9.
- ^ a b c "The History of Masquerade Masks". Venetian Masks Collections. 21 May 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- ^ "Recreate Masquerade balls from your favourite films". Samantha Peach Masquerade Masks. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 9 November 2017.
- The Mask of the Red Death: A Fantasy". Graham's Magazine.