Commedia Dell Arte Masks Zanni

Harlequin for instance had especially in his first years so much of the zanni character that was almost a reflection of it.

Commedia dell arte masks zanni.

In later times we also have a primo and secondo zanni that in a certain way replicate that situation the smart. Dei zanni the zanni was a generic term for the commedia dell arte itself. He represents the figure of the servant with coarse and instinctual ways of doing often related to sex and hunger. In the drottningholm theatre museum stockholm.

Here we go again another servant s mask of the commedia dell arte. In the early days of commedia dell arte the zanni mask used in the theatre was a full face mask with a long nose. They communicate to the audience the nature of the actor. The zanni mask collection commedia masks are character and statement creators.

The zanni can be recognized with good approximation as the matrix on which other masks were created. Zanni masks the name zanni is roughly equivalent to the english term joe schmoe a real nobody. Zanni zani or zane is a character type of commedia dell arte best known as an astute servant and a trickster. The zanni comes from the countryside and is known to be a dispossessed immigrant worker note 1 through time the zanni grew to be a popular figure who was first seen in commedia as early as the 14th century.

They express the performer s character social class and attitude. Zanni was a character of the comic theater of the ancient rome later became mask of the commedia dell arte. Zanni harlequin left and probably scapin right with pantaloon centre detail from the gelosi company 1580. He s the forefather of both harlequin and brighella and may explain why some demoniac features are associated with these masks.

The longer the nose on the mask then the more stupid was the character. The zanni comes from the countryside and is known to be a dispossessed immigrant worker. We ve been talking about harlequin and identified him as a zanni character but who is zanni. Zanni is a character type of commedia dell arte best known as an astute servant and trickster.

Courtesy of the drottningholms teatermuseum stockholm. It developed from here into a half mask covering the upper half of the face only with an extended long nose.