TITLE: Perpetuum Vitalis Mask
TYPE: helmet mask
GENERAL REGION: Europe
COUNTRY: Switzerland
SUBREGION: Lucerne
ETHNICITY: Swiss
DESCRIPTION: Perpetuum Vitalis mask
CATALOG ID: EUCH018
MAKER: Jan Widmer (Lucerne, 1991- )
CEREMONY: Fasnacht (Carnival)
AGE: 2017
MAIN MATERIAL: latex
OTHER MATERIALS: fiberglass; screen mesh; synthetic hair; resin eyes; adhesive; acrylic paint
Fasnacht is what the Swiss call Carnival. In many towns in Austria, southern Germany, Switzerland, and northern Italy, local folk don elaborate masks and costumes to parade through the town. Different towns have variations on the parade, such as the Schemenlaufen of Imst, the Schellerlaufen of Nassereith, and the Muller and Matschgerer of Innsbruck, Austria.
In Lucerne (Luzern), Switzerland, masks made of paper maché or, more commonly today, plastic, and usually take a helmet form. Armies of costumed clowns, musicians, and dancers parade around town in uniform mask styles during the Carnival season. Some throw confetti at crowd members and others distribute candy for children.
There is a great deal of innovation and creativity in mask styles. Each group tends to wear similar masks, based on a theme chosen for that year’s Fasnacht. Because these themes change annually, masks are rarely worn more than once.
This mask was worn by the group Conversio Luzern in 2017 as part of a float centered on the theme of survival after an apocalypse.
