Carnival mask
Elzacher Schuddig Langnaslarve, um 1850
About the object
The "long nose" is an early form of the Elzach Carnival masks. It was made from a piece of wood with a small branch still attached. The branch becomes the nose. It is believed that design of the mask developed from the masks worn in the Commedia dell'Arte. It is thought that the plague doctor from the Commedia, who traditionally wore a mask with a long beak-like nose, provided the template for this artefact.