Carnevale Pantalone Mask

The origins of his name are still unknown.

Carnevale pantalone mask. The costume has a chequered colourful jacket and trousers with a felt hat decorated with a rabbit or fox tail. The colombina carnevale mask is richly decorated with precious metals feathers and crystals. It represents the old merchant pantalone who was a symbol of the venetian bourgeoisie and always thinking about business and women. The pantalone mask has a hooked nose protruding eyebrows and a pointed beard.

This venice mask was named after a commedia dell arte colombina character of the maidservant and a mistress of arlecchino character. Il dottore the doctor dottor balanzone dottor baloardo the name balanzone seems to be coming from balle lies and gives well the idea of this mask which pretends to have a total knowledge supported by his science arrogance and ignorance born in bologna at the time in which the university was well established in the capital of emilia second half of 16th century. The arlecchino originates from bergamo. The bauta is always white and it is not only a carnival mask in the sense in those times it could also be used all year long to protect one s identity.

Another mask tied to commedia dell arte the character of arlecchino is known as the servant of pantalone and the lover of colombina. Some say it comes from saint pantaleone while others maintain it derives from the piantaleoni the merchants who planted piantavano san marco s lion symbol of venice in the towns conquered by the city where they would start making business. Historically women who didn t want to hide their natural beautiful faces wore the colombina.