Around the 1530's Commedia dell'arte was created, it was the worlds first improvisational theater and the first time, in Europe, that women had been allowed to act on stage. Commedia dell' arte (Italian theatrical comedy) was strongly political , bridging all classes, it was theater for the masses.Commedia Dell'arte is a complex art from that brings elements of dance , drama, music, poetry,circus skills and of course commedia masks all together. For the actor the plays are most demanding, there is no script, merely scenarios leaving it up to them to draw upon the character and the audiences assets and weaknesses to create a play that often unfolds at a furious pace, with no two plays ever being the same.
This section has traditionaly styled commedia masks in leather and paier mache. We have  Brighella masks, il capitano masks, alrlecchino and zanni masks to name but a few.