1984 the year we opened our restaurant was also the year which saw the opening of "La Bottega dei Mascareri" of the brothers Sergio and Massimo Boldrin, located at the foot of the Rialto bridge in Venice a centre for trade for many centuries. 

http://www.hickerphoto.com/rialto-bridge-venice-12572-pictures.htm

They offer a variety of familiar medieval figures from court jongleurs [ http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/306035/jongleur]
to the mythic folletti [little people] and on to characters common in eighteenth century Venice by way of the commedia dell'arte masks of Pantalone, Arlecchini and Zanni and the street disguises of the bauta and moreta all worked in cartapesta [papier mache] with some original gilded lunar and solar pieces.

Many of their pieces have been featured in international fashion design displays and in films such as "Eyes Wide Shut" and it was on my first mask hunting trip in Venice after I had given up on trying to locate their little shop following diverse instructions from both guide books and locals that I spied  a marvellous window display such that I was confident that I would like any piece bought in that tiny shop went back to pick up a card from the young lady minding the shop and carried it safely back to New Zealand in my pocket with the thought that I would ask Leandro [our son] to go back there on his next visit to his Nonna and acquire six pieces for my first foray into promoting Venetian masks for sale through our restaurant.
What an irony when I read the card in my pocket to send him his directions to discover whose work had so delighted me and I was of course delighted with all of his choices when they arrived and very happy to be able to personally add to his choices on my next excursion to La Bella Italia ~ may you enjoy these choices equally if you should choose to purchase one from this collection.