MART-701 Lessons

It was another week as students filed into the Magical Art classroom. The classroom didn’t seem to have any sort of decoration coinciding with this week’s topic as it had all year. More noticeably, their professor was not here yet, though it was completely possible that she might have been held over from an Alchemy lecture as she had before. The students settled into their seats, taking out their parchment and quills. Minutes flew by, and it seemed more and more apparent that their professor may have forgotten about class today. Talks of possibly getting up and leaving were interrupted by a loud bang followed by an “Owwwww.” A student in the front peered over her desk to find a theater mask on the ground with a crack down the forehead.

“Whoops! I swear that was completely unintentional,” said Professor Rosenquist as she walked into the room, flicking her wand at the mask on the ground to move it to her desk. Following the professor were dozens of floating theatrical masks; some were still, others were muttering something about “Poor Stephano.” Professor Rosenquist waved her wand some more, scattering the masks around the room and hanging them on the walls. When she was satisfied with the placement of her decor, the professor casually sat on her desk and addressed the class.

I apologize for my tardiness. I figured I could ransack the theater supply room for masks since we put on the occasional play at Hogwarts. Apparently, Unlocking Charms and specific passwords weren’t enough to get in. Thankfully the Headmistress wasn’t too busy to let me in, though, let’s keep that little mishandling incident between us, okay? Anyway, as you can guess, our topic today is masks! Masks have an abundance of uses and you yourself have likely worn a mask on multiple occasions. As per usual, we will take a look at the history of masks, the many different uses, and some techniques used to make them. Let’s get to it!

To start things off, what type of mask first comes to mind when you think about masks in general? Perhaps it’s a medical face mask or a mask used for a kid’s costume. Whatever you imagine, there are so many types of masks throughout history that there’s likely a use for whatever you imagined. Masks have been used throughout history for both practical and cultural purposes. Practical uses include wearing masks to prevent the spread of disease, to protect one’s face from harm in warfare or sports, for intimidation during discipline, or even to conceal one’s identity. A fairly recent example of that last one occurred not too long ago by the Death Eaters during both Wizarding Wars. Considering that some among the ranks of the Death Eaters were notable witches and wizards in our society, it made sense they did not want to be publicly associated with Voldemort. While their main purpose was to conceal, it is interesting that the masks also served as a way to identify each other. Magihistorians who documented the Wizarding Wars have found that no two Death Eaters ever wore the same mask. These masks were adorned with distinctive carvings and features that allowed the Death Eaters to know exactly who they were with without having to remove the mask and risk revealing their identity to any possible onlookers. As much as it would be nice to have a couple of the masks on display, it isn’t exactly respectful to any of those who were affected by the Wizarding Wars, not to mention that the Ministry does have them under lock and key. I’m happy to discuss these masks with anyone interested in them during office hours.

As for cultural purposes, we also see religious and non-religious ceremonial masks, funerary masks for burials, and character masks used for theater. Sometimes, we even see practical and cultural customs blend together! An example would be masks made for protection from disease. In particular, the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka have an ancient classification system of diseases where they associate 18 demons with various ailments. They created masks representing these demons, which they use in an exorcism ritual known as Sanni Yakuma. The ritual is very theatrical in nature as the exorcists wear the masks of the demons that are thought to be causing a person’s illness while performing a specific dance relating to said demons. Although the exact method of crafting is a protected secret among the Sinhalese people, we do know that these masks are made from a wood with a high affinity for magic, which is then painted and charmed with powerful healing forms that are meant to increase the exorcism ritual’s effectiveness. Outside of ritual purposes, some people hang them in their homes as a preventative measure. The origin of the ritual tells of a demon called the Kola Sanniya, who sought vengeance against his father, the King of Licchavis. Legend states that Kola Sanniya was a demon that created 18 lumps of poison, which were then turned into the 18 demons who helped him destroy the city and kill the king. Whether or not Kola Sanniya was truly a demon or simply a Dark wizard who was gifted in the arts of potions and transfiguration, magihistorians point to Sanni Yakuma and the use of these special masks as an interesting example of the blending of cultural ritual and practical purpose in an ancient society.

Due to the vast number of uses that exist, it’s safe to say that masks have quite an extensive history. Like most of our topics, there is no way we’d be able to cover the entire history of masks in one class, but we are going to touch on the highlights! Now, there isn’t an exact date that we can point to when masks were first created since those created in early civilizations didn’t withstand the passage of time. This is because the materials used were not as sturdy or easy to preserve as other art forms. However, we can use the masks that did survive to clue us in to what our magical ancestors may have used them for.

One use for masks that many ancient civilizations had in common was for rituals. In ancient Egypt, ritual masks were made in the likeness of animal heads to symbolize the Egyptian gods. A priest wearing the mask was said to become the embodiment of the god himself in the ritual. Although these masks were quite impressive, they weren’t exactly practical for the priest. For example, an Anubis mask used in funeral ceremonies was taller than the priest’s head, so the priest had to look through two small holes in the neck of the mask. Within the last decade, magiarchaeologists reported finding a few traces of what may be an ancient form of the Amplifying Charm on excavated ritual masks, which they believe was placed there by the mask makers so that those involved in the ritual were able to hear the priest wearing the mask.

Another major type of mask in Egyptian society is funerary masks. You may remember that in Year Six, we briefly mentioned the Fayum mummy portraits and how they were an early example of portraiture. Well, ancient Egyptian funerary masks are an even older example, as they were made in the likeness of the dead but with slightly enlarged eyes and painted-on jewelry and makeup. Most funerary masks for commoners were made from cartonnage, which was made by soaking papyrus or linen in plaster and then placing it into a wooden mold. Meanwhile, funerary masks for royalty were either made out of gold or gold leaves on bronze to designate their status, as can be seen on Tutankhamun's mask, for example. One thing that I often hear from curse-breakers is to watch out for the funerary masks in Egyptian pyramids. After hearing it a few times, I had to ask why, of course. The reason is that oftentimes, the funerary masks are the source object the curse was laid upon in a tomb. Ancient Egyptian wizards believed that casting curses on an object of a dead person’s likeness gave them the power to protect themselves in the plane of the living, even after they passed on to the afterlife. Unbeknownst to them, magic adheres remarkably well to the mask’s materials. That - along with the fact that the mask is in a protected tomb - lends to the longevity of the curses.

In ancient China, masks originated from shamanistic rituals — in particular, funeral rituals, like the ancient Egyptians, and exorcisms, like the Sinhalese people of Sri Lanka. Granted, these ritual masks were a bit more practical (with appropriately placed eye and mouth holes) but regardless, the use of masks eventually developed to have celebratory purposes, as well as ritualistic, such as the “Sorcerer’s masks” worn in ceremonies that welcomed the gods and spirits. However, probably the most famous celebratory and festive mask example of all is the variety of dragon masks worn during Chinese New Year. The dragon symbolizes fortune and prosperity in Chinese culture, and some of these masks are so big that multiple people have to carry them. What may be even more interesting is the unique color coding used in Chinese masks. This stemmed from specially colored masks that are used in theatrical performances so the audience can know off the bat what the character’s role is based on the mask. For example, harking back to our dragon masks, they’re typically a combination of the colors red, blue, and gold. Red symbolizes positive traits such as heroism, courage, and loyalty, while blue can mean wisdom, stubbornness, and fierceness (or simply designate a neutral character). Those certainly sound like the traits of a dragon in real life and in Chinese mythology! But, what about gold? Well, gold and silver are typically reserved for masks of supernatural beings because those colors represent mystery. Even though dragonology has come a long way since the times of ancient China, and although we are now well aware that dragons such as the Chinese Fireball aren’t supernatural creatures, there are tales of benevolent dragons in Chinese mythology that were said to send rain during hard times, so a supernatural color-coded dragon wasn’t too far fetched for the times!

We see masks continue to have relevance throughout history, especially in the theater world. Plays in Greece during the fifth century B.C.E. used masks for tragedies that had an intense expression, where the mouth was wide open, and the eyes were small, but there were no pronounced facial features. These Greek masks were believed to be charmed for early magical plays to contort their faces to different, but equally as intense, expressions by verbal cues from the play’s lines. 

A later Italian theater style called commedia dell’arte (or comedy of the profession) became prominent during the 16th and 18th centuries. These comedies were based on a loose plot that required actor improvisation. The actors portrayed stock characters, which each embodied a mood such as sadness, confusion, and so on. There were four stock character groups: Zanni, which included clowns and servants; Vecchi, who are wealthy old men; Innamorati, the young upper-class love interests; and Il Capitano, the braggarts and self-styled captains. While not all commedia plays used masks, the ones that did used them to inform the audience which stock character was on stage. For example, Pantalone was a Vecchi character who often controlled the wealth in the world of the play and was a character to be obeyed. His mask typically included a long, hooked nose as its defining trait. Commedia dell’arte was so influential that its format and characters influenced other works of art such as Picasso’s Three Musicians, Stravinsky’s Pulcinella, Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and even more notably to most of you, the British pantomime. While we won’t touch too much on British pantomimes right now (as there is a lack of masks in these comedies), isn’t it fascinating to see the influence of masks and how art has utilized them to eventually create something that is still so relevant today? Not to mention, our Project Hour assignment today may involve some pantomime costume design.

Oh! That brief thought of Shakespeare reminds me of a story that demonstrates another use for masks; albeit, not a very nice use. I’m sure through the many times you have attended your other courses, you may know that almost any object has the potential to be used for malice - and masks aren’t an exception. One example of this with some notoriety was an incident involving an early 18th-century production of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Although the International Statute of Secrecy had been introduced before this particular incident, theatrical troupes at the time were still pretty blended with Muggles and wizardkind. Though, witches and wizards in these troupes typically kept the magic toned down to where they could pass it off to Muggles as advanced technology or skills, such as excusing a mask with an Amplifying Charm as the performer just being really good at projecting his voice to the audience. Muggles were oblivious to this minimal use of  magic, so blended troupes went under the radar; that is, they did, until this quarrel between the Muggle actor playing Bottom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the stage manager, Rupert Riggels. Riggels was a prominent wizard in English theater, being an alumnus of W.A.D.A. and having directed and managed numerous plays in England. The Muggle actor in question was a rookie in the industry who had a habit of not listening to cues and disregarding the instructions of the director and Riggels. Over time, this irritated Riggels more and more until he had enough. One day after rehearsal, Riggels snuck into the theater and found the actor’s wooden donkey mask. He cast a complex spell that would transfigure the wearer into a donkey, which is exactly what happened the next day when the Muggle actor put on the mask. The clean up became a huge fiasco, which then launched laws to separate these theater troupes and have more strict guidelines on how magic is used in theater, especially if there are Muggles in attendance. Aside from being a fun bit of history for you, this story also serves as a warning: if you make a mask with the intent to harm or “prank” a fellow student, you can expect a very quick ticket to detention.

With as many types of masks as there are in the world and throughout history, it should come as no surprise to you that there are various methods of making masks. The plethora of materials includes, but isn’t limited to: wood, leather, clay, metal, paper mache, plastic, and cloth. If you are planning on enchanting your mask, you are going to have a much easier time doing so on a mask made from magical and natural materials rather than a mask made from synthetic materials. Decorations on the mask itself also vary from paints, feathers, fabric, trim, sequins, jewelry, glitter, and more! You aren’t even limited to just materials that need to be adhered to the mask either. Wooden and leather masks are typically shaped, carved, tooled, and otherwise decorated before enchantments are laid on them. Some mask makers even prefer to etch runes on their masks!

One material that I find particularly fun to use when enchanting the mask is paper mache. Paper mache masks are made by dipping strips of paper in a glue-like substance (often a water and flour mixture) and layering these strips over one another to create a form. Much like the Egyptian funerary masks made from cartonnage that we mentioned earlier, you may want to use something as a base to give it a certain shape while you build on it and wait for it to dry. You could also use the Paint Drying Charm to dry the paper mache as you go. I wouldn’t personally recommend the Quick Drying Charm, since you would want a more gentle stream of air - unless you prefer to have wet paper flying off your base, then by all means go ahead. Charming paper mache is very similar in concept to charming paintings in that for more complex, long-lasting spells, you would need to cast spells on each layer.

I would like to note that when making your mask, you are not limited to just the spells listed in this lesson. If you want to create a mask that changes color, cast the Color Changing Charm or Flashing Color Charm. If you need to enlarge your materials or the mask itself to make it easier to decorate, use the Engorgement Charm. If you just want to make a mask that talks on its own, like some of the ones I brought with me to class today, by all means you are free to use the Recitation Spell. If there’s a spell that you can think of to make the crafting step easier or to enhance your art, use it! Just don’t use any spells that are part of a “harmless prank.” I have multiple stations set up in the back of the classroom for our Project Hour assignment today. Any art supplies on the tables are free for you to use, and I have also provided mask blanks if you don’t want to create the shape from scratch.

With all of that, we are done with today’s lesson. In addition to the Project Hour assignment I have already described, you will also have a quiz on today’s lesson. If you have any questions or concerns, feel free to owl me, as always. Now excuse me, I did promise the Headmistress that I would return these masks right after class. I will return shortly to direct you on our Project Hour assignment.

Lesson written by Professor Serafina Rosenquist
Additional portions written by Professor Rose Honeysett