Looking for a unique and original Halloween costume?

Original Venice Shop's handmade Venetian masks are for you.

We've selected a wide range which are perfect for the most mysterious and magical night in October, and in this article we'll present them to you so that you can choose the one which suits you best.

Before you read on, we'd like to remind you that all the Original Venice Shop masks are completely handmade, and are therefore unique and unrepeatable handicraft products.

All our creations are accompanied by a certificate guaranteeing their quality and origin.

Traditional Venetian masks for Halloween

In this section, we'll discuss some typical Venetian masks which can also be very easily adapted for the famous Halloween night.

Bauta mask: Venetian disguise par excellence

One only has to see the paintings of the Venetian painter Pietro Longhi to understand how much the bauta mask was used

This was the most popular mask once worn by Venetians, during Carnival or when they just wanted to go incognito (so famous that there's a well-known board game about going incognito wearing them!).

What made them so popular for those who wanted to remain completely anonymous?

Their popularity comes from the peculiar shape of the mask's upper lip, which was deformed and elongated to allow the wearer to eat and drink without removing it and which had the side effect of altering the voice, making it impossible to recognise the wearer.

Choosing to wear a Bauta mask for Halloween means perfectly embodying the mystery behind this night.

Like the Venetians of yesteryear, you'll love its shape which will allow you to keep it on all night and have your voice distorted, in perfect Halloween style!

Here you can find our handcrafted baute, from the most classic versions to the most modern reinterpretations.

Among the latter are the ones which our craftsman Maurizio has designed especially for Halloween, available in different colours.

Classic Volto Masks

The Volto mask follows the shape of the human face, hiding it completely. 

They're perfect for Halloween because, as you'll see, the ample space available allows today's masqueraders to decorate them to suit the occasion (the ones we've painted in perfect Halloween style have been collected here) and above all because their unflappable expressionlessness makes them mysterious and at times creepy.

Columbina Masks

The Columbina mask is a typical Venetian mask which conceals only the upper part of the face, leaving the mouth and chin uncovered.

It is a graceful and elegant mask, designed to depict the female character of Columbina in the Commedia dell'arte and therefore to enhance the beauty of the leading actress.

This is why, unlike the Zanni mask, with its big nose, or that of Harlequin and Punchinello, it is less recognisable but more versatile, so much so that, over time, it became a common carnival mask worn by both men and women who wanted to hide their faces only partially, without distorting them.

Plague Doctor Masks

Although it looks like a disguise designed specifically to terrorise passers-by on Halloween night, this mask was actually designed to fulfil a macabre task.

It was once thought that the plague was transmitted by air, by breathing the 'bad' air of the sick person.

So this mask was designed as a kind of 'respirator': the doctor was completely insulated by a waxed robe where this beak with herbs inside was applied, so that the doctor would breathe in the scent of the herbs and not the infected air.

Both its grim shape and its origin make it perfect for Halloween night: bring a funereal atmosphere to your fancy dress party and you'll certainly not go unnoticed!

You can find our plague doctor masks here.

Zanni Masks

I'm sure many of you have already come across this mask and mistaken it for its more famous sister, the plague doctor mask.

Don't worry, over the next two paragraphs you'll learn how to tell them apart.

'Zanni' is the Veneto version of the Italian name 'Gianni', which was once widespread among the Venetian working class and therefore among the servants of noblemen and rich Venetian merchants.

So, in the Venetian Commedia dell' Arte, when it came to naming the mask which embodied the stereotype of the servant, they chose the name which was most associated with them, namely 'Zanni'.

Zanni embodies the stereotype of the crude and vulgar servant, sometimes wicked, who often tries to play tricks on his master.

His mask is characterised by a curved, pointed nose which makes it resemble a chicken's beak.

Zanni and Plague Doctor in comparison

How can you tell the Zanni Mask apart from that of the Plague Doctor?

The eyeholes of the Plague Doctor Mask are round, because originally small pieces of glass were attached to it, like glasses, in order to completely isolate the doctor's face from the patient.

The eyes of the Zanni Mask, on the other hand, have a mean or at least severe cut, never round.

The nose of the Plague Doctor Mask is a long beak, the lower part of which reaches under the wearer's chin because, let's not forget, the doctor's face had to be completely insulated to avoid coming into contact with the 'bad air' of the plague.

The Zanni mask doesn't have this problem and therefore its curved nose has a lower part which does not go below the mouth.

Revisiting classic Venetian masks in a modern key

Vega Masks

These masks are a modern variant of the classic Volto masks.

Here there is no mouth and the gaze is sarcastic, perhaps contemptuous.

These modifications make it suitable for those who want to play a mysterious villain for Halloween!

These masks are an Original Venice Shop exclusive, as only our craftsman Maurizio makes them!

If you want to see them, you can find them here.

Anonymous Venetian Masks

These masks are a more opaque and masculine alternative to the classic Colombina masks.

Anonymous Venetian masks owe their name to a famous 1970 film set in the lagoon city which tells of the rediscovery of love, thanks to the romanticism which the Serenissima offers, by a couple, Enrico and Valeria, who are separated with a child.

They are the work of Maurizio and can be found here.

Black bandit mask

Another variation of the classic Colombina mask, this time by our artisan Anna, who specialises in leather masks. This mask is very versatile: you can use it to play a bandit on Halloween night or Zorro at Carnival!

Find this mask here and Anna's other leather masks here.

Classic masks for Halloween

Pop masks for Halloween night

Buying a mask of Venetian craftsmanship doesn't necessarily mean buying a mask linked only to the tradition of the Serenissima.

Do you want a mask for a modern and pop Halloween, but which is still unique and high-quality?

If you click this link you'll find a selection of typical Halloween-night masks. They range from Jack O’ Lantern’s pumpkin to horror classics like Jason's hockey mask from the film Friday the 13th.

So the shape of these masks isn't tied to Venice and you can find them all over the world, but remember that they have the particular feature of being handmade and therefore unique.

Would you like a Guy Fawkes mask, but you're tired of the ones they sell which all look like the ones from the film V for Vendetta?

Take a look at the one made by our craftsman Maurizio!

Demons, devils, satyrs

Do you want a Halloween which is less pop and more dark and esoteric? At this link we've selected the masks which are right for you.

The section includes more cartoonish devil masks like Diavolo Rosso (Red Devil) and more refined and sophisticated masks like Diavolo Barocco (Baroque Devil).

These masks, even if not strictly related to the history of Venice, are nevertheless part of the Italian tradition, as they take up elements from Greek and Roman mythology (such as satyrs and capricorns) which the Italian poet Dante would later transform into key characters in his Divine Comedy (Minos, Charon, the Minotaur...).

Skull masks

After the pumpkin, the element most associated with Halloween is the skull! We've selected all the masks with these features for you in this link.

There are funny ones, sexy ones, macabre ones and lavish ones, suitable for all kinds of parties!

Phantom of the Opera Masks

The Phantom of the Opera is a famous novel by Gaston Leroux, which was adapted into a feature film and an even more famous musical, which recently became a film.

The story tells of a dark love affair between a singer and a mysterious 'phantom', a man who hides his appearance behind a mask and lives secluded in the basement of the Paris Opera House.

In addition to the mask's dark appearance, the story associated with it is also perfect for Halloween night. If you love singing then you'll be perfectly in character!

Other handmade masks suitable for Halloween night

Larva masks

'Larva' in Latin refers to both a theatrical mask and to a spectre, a ghost.

The preconditions for a good Halloween mask are already there.

But what specifically are larva masks?

Larva masks are so-called in that they are simple, with facial features which are not well defined and expressions barely hinted at.

They are often used in theatre to make actors work on their body expressiveness.

If you take a look at them (you can find them here) you'll realise that their 'spooky' name is definitely appropriate and that they're an original idea perfect for Halloween night!

Animal Masks

Would you like to invoke the gloomy hues of Pet Sematary for your Halloween? Then the selection of animal face masks we've chosen for you here is definitely right for you.

Even for those unfamiliar with Stephen King's work, these masks will certainly not go unnoticed.

Since the dawn of time, in fact, we have been using animal masks to communicate our deepest and most hidden selves. What beast is hiding within you which will come out to play on Halloween night?

Metal Filigree Masks

A sensual and intriguing Halloween?

Then the metal filigree masks we've selected here are what you're looking for.

This technique leaves a lot of the face uncovered, but manages to conceal just enough to create a tantalising see-through effect to fascinate and catch the eyes of those around you.

The masks we offer are all the work of our master Vincenzino, who for years has specialised in the use of metal filigree and the creation of mysterious and sexy masks.

Mask synonymous with maximum expressiveness

These masks were originally worn by actors on stage to make their characters recognisable even to those far away.

That's why the masks of old were highly expressive, so that even the spectators in the back row could understand what the character was feeling!

We decided to offer these masks for Halloween night as well: what could be scarier than a face which looks at you mockingly throughout the evening?

If, on the other hand, you want to sculpt other strong emotions on your face, you can find these types of masks here.

Moon Masks

These masks were often used, in the Middle Ages, both for Carnival and for theatrical performances, as the Moon has always been a recurring element in the imagination of all times and cultures.

However, its dark charm also seems very much in tune with Halloween night!

You can view them at this link.