Description
Condition: New, Handmade in Greece Material: Casting stone Height: 29 cm - 11.5 inches Width: 22 cm - 8.6 inches Weight: 2.4 kg KING ODYSSEUS MASK Odysseus was a legendary Greek king of Ithaca & a hero of Homer's epic poem the Odyssey. Odysseus also plays a key role in Homer's Iliad & other works in that same Epic Cycle. Husband of Penelope, father of Telemachus, & son of Laërtes & Anticlea, Odysseus is renowned for his brilliance, guile, & versatility, & is hence known by the epithet Odysseus the Cunning. He is most famous for the ten eventful years he took to return home after the decade-long Trojan War & his famous Trojan Horse ploy to capture the city of Troy. The mask was a necessary device for the ancient Greeks who developed the art of theater. Among the two main genres of Greek theater are comedy & tragedy, elements of which are still the fundamentals of all acting today. Masks such as this were important accessories in several ways. Primarily the mask provided colorful imagery as an accessory or prop (features were over-accentuated or made to look ridiculous in comedy much like caricature sketches). Secondly, using masks helped the audience to identify the roles as often a very limited cast was used to perform multiple characters. Thirdly & perhaps most importantly, the conical mouth shape of the masks (which were usually made of clay) helped the acoustics or 'volume' as the voice of the thespian was better projected out into the audience in the theater. (05-032-A) Odysseus Mask - King Of Ithaca Greek Odyssey Trojan War Mythical Hero
