The best mask shop in Venice (and one of my favourite shops in the world!) has got to be La Botega dei Mascareri. It’s a tiny little place, warm and tucked into the long line of numerous mask shops and souvenir shops that line the rialto bridge.

I stumbled upon it pretty much by accident, or mostly because I was lost and didn’t really know what direction to make for. The exterior of the shop is quite humble compared to its flashier neighbors, but something about the almost-twisted nature of the mask lured me in

Inside, it was a haven of all sorts of awesome. Floor to ceiling covered with masks, with a warm yellowish light cast on them.

It was so different from the other mask shops because, for one thing, this place was not heavy-handed with the cheap glitter. Every piece was special, and you could tell the workmanship that went into them.

They were, unlike the cheap masks being sold elsewhere, handpainted (in the artistic way, if that makes sense, as opposed to just being mass-painted), carefully detailed with fine brush strokes and goldleaf, and best of all, their masks came in all sorts of odd shapes and sizes and expressions, not just the glam glittery mask that are typical of sweet sixteens and wedding parties.

I was drawn to sooo many pieces, but alas, could only afford one (there was a cool bird-looking one that was over 60 euros! sob.), which is still a design i absolutely love! It’s 15eur, and is totally twisted and atypical which suits me perfectly.

I had my photo taken with the master himself! How awesome was it that he was working in the shop’s tiny studio when we went? Look at him all covered in goldleaf!

Happy happy purchase. Whee! And he’s got a collection of famous people who are admirers of his work! Here’s the cast of Joan of Arcadia (a show which I was sad to see cancelled)

The masks here are generally a bit more pricey than those of the stalls you’ll find everywhere else, so if you’re on a budget and you need souvenirs, this may break the bank a bit for you. But if you’re looking to give something special, maybe to yourself (like I did, hahaha), or to a few special friends, then I absolutely recommend investing in one of the botega’s art pieces instead! <3

Photos: Canon EOS 450D + 10-22mm