Masks and facial decoration are pretty much ubiquitous to human cultures. Masks are used in religious celebrations and rituals all over the world. For many of these groups both the wearing and making of the masks used are spiritual practices.

The donning of a mask can allow the wearer to become the entity represented, be it god, spirit or ancestor.

The manufacture of the pieces is full of meaning in terms of both the materials and design elements. The main drive of my work is based on the European history of "masquerade" masks. This type of mask is based on a combination of historical influences.

The Greek tradition of masked tragedies that lead to the (much later) development of the Italian Commedia dell'Arte and then the development in Venice of the Ball masque. The Romans also performed early forms of the European celebratory masking. One was the Saturnalia (Dec 17), where all people, masters, and servants alike, would celebrate the rebirth of the world by masking and partying. These drunken events would last for at least a couple of days and masks were worn to encourage equality and brotherhood.

Throughout most of Western Europe the pagan religions also included some celebrations at the winter solstice. As Christianity spread into Europe, many of the old practices were absorbed into the holiday of Christmas. The twelve days of Christmas involved such characters as "The Lord of Misrule", who was often masked, and events such as the "Feast of Fools", which would also involve masking. Historical records show that masks were commonly worn in the court of King James I.

There was some discussion that their use led to lewd behaviour since they allowed their wearers a certain level of anonymity. As a result of the presence of masks at court, their use was very popular in England and reached its peak in the 16th and early 17th century. This has likely influenced both the development of New Years Eve masked balls and also the Mardi Gras masked parties.

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