MASK, a covering for the face, often shaped so as to form a rude representation of human or animal features. They have been in use from the most ancient times. Among the Greeks they were used, particularly in the pro cessions and ceremonies attending the orgies of Dionysus. Some ancient masks seem to have been, like the modern ones, merely coverings for the face, but it was more usual for them to cover the whole head, and represent, with the features, the head, hair and eyes. They were at first made of the bark of trees, then of leather, afterward of wood, which the artist fashioned according to the design of the poet. The comic masks were distinguished by a grotesque, laughing countenance; the tragic ones had more dignity, but were sometimes frightful. There were also satyr masks and orchestric, or those with regular features, for dancers. They had mostly very large open mouths, within which were metallic bars or other sounding bodies to strengthen the voice of the speaker —a con trivance which was required by the construc tion and immense size of the old theatres. The
mask used at modern masked balls or masque rades is a covering for the head and face made from a light stuff, with which a person may dis guise himself and remain unknown, or perhaps represent some other character. There are whole and half masks — for example, masks for the nose and the eyes. A death mask is one of plaster made of the face after death. See also CARNIVAL; MASQUERADE, and consult Dali, 'Masks, Labrets and Certain Aboriginal Cus toms) (Washington 1885) ; Hart, C. H. (ed.), 'Brouwere's Life Masks of Great Americans' (New York 1899) ; Fichorini, 'Le maschere sceniche e le figure comiche d' antichi Romani> (Rome 1736).