Masquerade Party Masks and Their History

These are more than just something for Mardi gras, masquerade party masks can liven up any social gathering. The most elegant and beautiful is the masquerade party with full length costumes.

This type of party started sometime in the 15th century. The masquerade party masks starting appearing at social gatherings and then at the festivities surrounding Carnival. They soon were being used in pageants, weddings and any other celebration where the host felt it was appropriate.

The following century saw the joining of the masquerade masks with full costumes. This was mostly during the Italian renaissance were the upper class were able to hid their identities from each other in a unique but formal way.

During the 17th and 18th century the masquerade party masks were sources of not only fun at parties but also tragedy. The famous opera Gustave III is a prime example of this. This is a true story of the assassination of Gustav III of Sweden while attending a masquerade ball wearing an elaborate masquerade mask.

In the beginning masquerade masks were simple yet beautiful. They have evolved into gorgeous masks adorn with beads and feathers that can either totally hide the identity of the person wearing it to just being masks on a stick for a mild cover for the eyes.

Some are beautifully handcrafted pieces of art that are made in a wide variety of themes that can fit a special occasion. Others are massed produced but still have a simple elegance to them. The hard thing is to know where to buy a masquerade party mask that will fit that special ball or occasion where that special look is needed.

There are those specialty shops that have expanded to the internet that can help you not only decide but can offer a great deal when it comes time for you to choose that special masks for your private or public event. The colors that masks can come in are silver, gold, red, white, black and pink to name a few.

Whether the mask is for a man or a woman the right one can be found so your masquerade party mask will make you the star of the event.

Samantha Crowley is an expert on masquerade party masks with many years of experience in the industry. Click the links to see her wonderful collection of masquerade feather masks!