The story of the mask. From Egyptian pharaohs to the Venetian carnival

Perhaps there is not a single culture on our planet in which masks were not used. This is evidenced by ancient rock drawings depicting hunters in animal masks. For different peoples, the mask was first one of the most important attributes of ritual sacrifices in which it played a sacred role, then the masks migrated to theaters ... Gradually, the masks passed from rites and theatrical life into real, becoming an obligatory attribute of carnival and costume balls. But in addition to the masks of decorating and frightening, there are a huge number of professional masks with specific properties: surgical - - oxygen -free - oxygen - supplying air to patients and divers, sports masks that preserve faces from damage. And even a gas mask worn in a chemical attack is also a mask! Each lady is familiar with cosmetic masks, and sad posthumous masks retain the face of those who have gone to the face ... Today, when the whole world is forced to wear masks, the history of this attribute is especially relevant and interesting. Enjoy reading!