This is a Venetian-style mask my mother bought when she worked at Spirit Halloween. It currently hangs on a curtain rod in my bedroom, and its color scheme matches the rest of its surroundings.

The mask is relatively cheaply made, fashioned from a plastic mold and artificial feathers. Two almond-shaped eye holes were cut into the mask; the left eye hole is the only part of that side of the face. Most of the mask is sea-foam green; the paint has been artfully cracked. Some of the paint has brownish discoloration as well. I can’t remember if the mask was originally like this, or if it’s due to the cheap paint oxidizing.

Silver is a big component of the mask as well. The right eye is painted completely, with a border of swirls which protrudes from the surface. Other swirls are on the cheeks and forehead. The lips are painted silver too, giving the mask a creepy smile. Nostril holes provide the wearer somewhere to breathe through. The face has a rounder, feminine look to it.

Next to the right eye are several layers of feathers; all of these are artificial by touch. Peacock feathers are arranged in a set of three, with blue feathers as a background; all of this is held in place on the back with hot glue and white felt. On top of this is a plastic blue diamond bead, which has holes on either end for string. If you look closely, you can actually see the blob of hot glue holding the diamond in place.

In lieu of feathers, the other side of the mask has black and silver looped trim. This trim covers the rest of the mask, and feels somewhat itchy to the touch. It is held in place with a thin layer of transparent glue, which can just barely be seen around the edges.

The mask has a relatively thick, stretchy elastic band around the back, in order for the mask to be worn. Like the feathers, it is held in place by glue and white felt, in order to provide a level of comfort to the wearer, I suppose.

The back  of the mask is white, and it has a matte texture to it. The “forehead” of the mask, while not painful to wear, protrudes far into the hairline. It has sat in my room for so long that it does not have any kind of scent to me. While trying it on, the wearer quickly notes how awkward it is to breathe, and how much heat quickly builds up. It seems almost as though the piece functions as wall art, rather than a piece to be worn as part of a costume.

From far off the mask appears beautiful and eerie, but up close you can see how cheaply it was produced.