Jester (Jolly/Joker)

The Joker or Jolly masks depict the role of the Jester in the Italian Middle Ages.  The facial features of the Joker masks are male, with the Jolly being the female equivalent.  The Jesters (Joker or Jolly) wore brightly coloured clothing in a motley pattern and they were known for their incessant laughter.

These masks make a stunning statement as a piece of art for your home and are wonderful examples of ancient Italian art.  Each one individually hand crafted by crafts-people in Venice whilst there are themes for the masks such as music, Joker Reale, etc, each one is individually made and no two are identical.

Some of the names of the masks indicate design themes, such as "Reale" indicating the "punte" or "points" of the mask encircling the entire face, or "bavero" to indicate a beard or frills below the mask.  "Musica" indicates the use of a music score in the mask "punte" or "points".  The baroque masks have an "old world" look encompassing both the intricate overlaid pattern on the face with the "craquele" aged effect on the undecorated face of the mask.

Click here for a full history on Venetian masks.

Browse through our extensive selection below and remember to click on the individual pictures to enlarge the image.