A small Tanagra-type theater mask of terracotta allegedly discovered in Mangalia – the ancient Greek port of Callatis, is the exhibit of the month of November at the Constanta Museum of National History and Archaeology (MINA).

The mask was most likely discovered in Mangalia (ancient Callatis). Due to its small size and the material, it wasn’t used in performances; it had a decorative role – it is provided with holes that allowed it to be hung with strings inside various theater spaces (also, this type of mask could be used either in a funerary context, or for votive purposes in the temples of Dionysus). The item was just partially preserved and has undergone restoration. It depicts a theatrical character of comedic nature – potentially exaggerated or grotesque – characterized by pointed eyes and prominent, bushy eyebrows. The joyful expression is conveyed through a widely open mouth, with its substantial rim curving upward at the level of the cheekbones, MINA Constanta said in the release.

According to the cited source, in Greco-Roman antiquity, theater was one of the most appreciated forms of artistic expression.

Originating in ancient Greece, theater was born from the celebration of Dionysus, the joyful god of wine and fertility. Over time, the festivities dedicated to the god came to include dances, songs, recitations of dithyrambs in honor of Greek heroes, creative contests awarded with a goat (tragos) – which is the root from which the modern word ‘tragedy’ evolved. A specific place was created around the temple of Dionysus, dedicated to theatrical performances.

The mask was an important accessory for the actors, originating from the primitive makeup the believers put on at Dionysian festivals; it was large, made of organic materials and was multifunctional: it identified the character for the audience, exaggerated emotional traits and amplified the actor’s expressiveness, allowing recognition from a distance due to its size and color (dark for tragedies, brightly colored for comedies).

The mask also allowed male actors to play female roles.

‘As an integral part of the Hellenic world (until the Roman conquest) for the West-Pontic Greek cities of Histria, Tomis and Callatis, plastic representations and epigraphic texts, corroborated with written sources and archaeological discoveries let us know that various games and shows held an important place in the cities’ cultural life,’ the release also states. AGERPRES (RO – writing by: Nona Jalba; EN – writing by: Simona Klodnischi)