The Duchess of Malfi – MC067

One of the greatest classic theatre tragedies from English history is the story of the Duke and Duchess of Malfi. This story of a beautiful Duchess who absconds with a common lover, leaving the Palace of Pleasures. A classic and famous story… Also a story that appealed to masked participants of the yearly Venetian Commedia dell’ Arte season which lasted for months… Our sculptured masks represent an age when elegance and sophistication mixed with a need for secrecy and pretense. The ‘Bouffon’ or Jester is an unusually rich and decorative representation of one of the most ubiquitous of Venetian Carnival characters.