Mini Pulcinella Mask

£5.00

The Pulcinella is synonymous with Napoli. All around the city you see these masks and often they are seen on a figurine of a fella with a bit of a belly, pointy hat and a HUGE mouth. He has been a symbol of Naples since the 17th century and he was made up of a combination of about 4 characters from ancient Neapolitan plays. Originally introduced as a character in puppet shows, he quickly became popular on stage and was seen as an important voice of ‘the people.’

I once asked my pals in Napoli what the Pulcinella represents and it is really quite complex. On the one hand, he is seen as a man of the street who wants to further his place in society, but never knows how to do it. On the other hand, he is a greedy, scheming person from the middle classes who likes to get one over on everyone.

However, at his very core, he is someone who wants to help and often assists the main characters in getting out of danger in the plays and shows in which he features. Now that the history lesson is over, what the Pulcinella is meant to represent is that no matter how we are perceived or who is behind the mask, ultimately we are all good and want to do the best we can for as many people as we can.

You see these masks all over the city as reminders of the above, so we decided that it was only right to get our man Salvatore to make some for us. Each is made and hand-painted in the Rione Sanità district of Napoli. There is a hole right in the top of the mask for you to loop some string or ribbon through to hang wherever you see fit.

Made in Napoli.