The Basle, (or Larval) masks originated in the ritual “Fastnacht” (Festival Time) in Basle, Switzerland.
Whereas the Neutral Mask is a bridge between Primitive and Modern, the Basle Masks form a link between animal and human, providing an excellent transition between the work of Neutral Mask and the apogee of mask work – the Commedia dell’Arte.
They encourage the actor to use ‘full-body immersion’ in ‘living up to’ the image that the mask presents. They also ask of the imagination a quantum leap, to find the rhythms, shapes, actions and reactions of these ‘humanoid’ apparitions.