Traditional masks of the Ottana (NU) carnival (Barbagia, Sardinia) - Caratza de Merdùle (Mask of the guardians of the oxen).
They are made by hand, carving logs of different lineages with gouges and knife, painted with natural mordants and finished with fine waxes.
Available in different models, they can be selected from the drop-down menu - MODEL - below.
The models in photos are explanatory of the type of model, however, as masks are hand-carved from logs with slightly different shapes, the models sent will never be identical to those in the photograph. In fact, each piece is unique, an aspect that increases its value and worth.
Merdùles are traditional Barbagia masks typical of the Ottana (NU) carnival, among the best known in all of Sardinia.
The Merdules, properly "the guardians of the oxen," try to command the boes throughout the carnival parade. They wear a mask that has the features of the face of a deformed, ugly old man with a sneering mouth. In carnival performances, in fact, the Boe is chased, whipped and captured by the Merdule, acting out furious brawls around a large bonfire in the square that has always been held on the evening of January 16.
The Merdùles' costume is completed with white or black sheepskins (quite rare) and a stick, Su Matzuccu, with which they summon the Boes, or try to tame them using a leather rope, Sa Soca.
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