The Materials Used To Make The Greek Tragedy Masks

Greek tragedy Masks were usually made from linen or cork therefore no masks have survived to this time in order for historians and scholars to study. It is not surprising that none of these masks survived, because they were made of things like cork, wood and linen. These materials are not that sturdy and tend to decay over time. Human or animal hairs were also used on the Greek tragedy masks to make wigs for it. The Greek tragedy mask also had eyes drawn on, a small hole to allow the person wearing the mask to see and small aperture for the mouth.One of the most interesting things about the Greek tragedy mask was that it had large features and the mouths were always fashioned as open and round so that their voices could be heard even in the furthest row but how did people make the Greek tragedy mask?

The mask was made of cloth dipped in gypsum and pressed on a matrix to obtain the desired form. Then it was covered with a thin layer of plaster and finally the features of the character were painted on it and different materials like hair were put on it. The shape of the mask was like a helmet since it was covering not only the face but also the entire head. The Greek tragedy mask’s upper part was in Λ shape that contributed a lot to the impressive appearance of the actor.

So overall you can see the Greek tragedy masks were made from linen, wood, cork, cloth, plaster and human and animal hair.