Masks on the ground in the carnival of Basel

Carnival masks.

For my third participation in 2012 in the carnival or Fasnacht of Basel, I chose to put here, mainly the accent on masks.

And among the uncountable masks worn by the inhabitants of Basel,
I present 100 in pages (in french) dedicated to this carnival.
More, on this page, some others, on the ground, between two moments of parades or at the end of these.

Et comme souvent, j'accompagne ces images de quelques textes et définitions historiques

Definitions, of the dictionary of Furetiere of 1690

MASK. Somebody disguised who covered himself the face not to be recognized. In Shrovetide it is the season to see masks to the Court and to the balls. Masks were to dance a ballet in such a place. There were several companies of beautiful masks, people who would run in mask.
Mask, is also an offensive term which we tell to the women of the common people, to blame them for their ugliness, or for their old age. It is an old woman masks, an ugly masks which sings misfortune to everybody.
Mask, also says to itself of the piece that we put on the face to disguise, not to be known. The common people have grotesque masks of hundred sorts of faces. In Spain the Monks put masks, and dance in the Church: in several solemn Parties.

Mask, also says itself in the seriousness of the piece of cloth which the women of condition put on the face to protect itself from the halo, or even by modesty to be less seen. We hold that it is Popea woman of Neron who invented the mask to keep the delicacy of its complexion against the Sun, and the suntan, seen that it was the woman the most curious to adorn itself that we never saw. We wore formerly square masks. Now we wear eye mask . The masks of countryside are hardly big : those of city are very small. The black of the velvet of masks publishes of advantage whiteness of the throat. This woman is beautiful under the mask.
We also call mask, all that we put in front of eyes to hide. Penitent of Lyon and Avignon hide the face with big white veils which are of use to them as masks. The Thieves, the murderers wear masks of material to make their blow without being known. The travelers wear it to protect itself from some powder, or from some snow.

To see also (in French) articles and engravings, extracted from the 'Magasin pittoresque' of the 1830s and 40