Carnival masks placed on display in a Venetian artisan mask makers shop in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021.

Venetian artisan mask maker Gualtiero Dall'Osto works on a carnival costume hat made to resemble the COVID-19 virus in his laboratory in Venice, Italy, Saturday, Jan. 30, 2021.

During Carnival, the mask served "to protect, to reveal, and also to guarantee anonymity," says Gualtiero Dall'Osto, who owns Tragicomico, an artisan's shop making artistic masks.

A lion's share of the masks crafted this season were delivered across the Adriatic Sea to Venice, where this year's carnival was dedicated to Marco Polo -- one of the city's most iconic residents ...

During Carnival, the mask served to “to protect, to reveal, and also to guarantee anonymity,” says Gualtiero Dall’Osto, who owns Tragicomico, an artisan’s shop making artistic masks.

Every year, the Venice Art Mask Factory in Albania’s Shkoder produces more than 20,000 hand-crafted masks, including 1,700 unique pieces this year alone, to be donned by carnival revellers from ...