October 16, 2007

The Merchant of Venice hand-sculpts lovely masks from leather. Each mask is a work of art.

At Mansour Designs, the hand-sculpted leather can include masks with dreads, be crowns and hats, or have elaborate carving and decoration. More handmade leather masks at Fantasy Guild Studios, including masks based on astrological signs, the Greenman, and designs inspired by Shakespeare. Beautiful work.

posted by Christophine 16 years ago
  • Beautiful indeed (why 'Merchant of Venice', I wonder?).
  • Merchant of Venice looks gorgeous! I've just purchased a few from Mythical Masks, which I'll be wearing this Halloween.
  • Very lovely. (why 'Merchant of Venice', I wonder?) I guess because the tradition of this kind of mask has its origins in the Venice carnivale?
  • Ah, thanks, that makes sense. I had this disturbing feeling that the masks were made out of a pound of flesh.
  • They are. Just not human flesh.
  • Way cool! I wonder how hard it would be to attempt something like this in a more affordable paper mache?
  • I fooled around with paper mache Venetian masks for a production of The Gondoliers that never got off the ground. They looked like a combination of the Pillsbury Doughboy and that guy from Carnival of Souls.
  • BlueHorse, you can use those plaster-of-Paris strips they used to make broken-limb-casts out of. Just remember to Vaseline your subject's face first, especially eyebrows, lashes and facial hair (if any).