Born in the stagnant areas of lower Bergamo, quite the opposite of his compatriot Brighella, he shows little intellect, is stupid, greedy and credulous. Harlequin is always dressed as a humble serf or a porter as in Carlo Goldoni's "Servant to two Masters". The Harlequin costume consists of a jacket and trousers made of irregularly-shaped colored material, a white felt cap occasionally with rabbit or fox fur. He always wears a belt with a wooden spatula hanging from it. He wears a black half-mask with demonic features (legend has it that the name Harlequin derives from a demon called Alichino cited by Dante Alighieri in Inferno part of the "Divine Comedy". He sometimes has a bristly moustache and eyebrows and a large nose. A typical part of the Harlequin costume is the red lump on the head. Handpainted and made in Italy, size 7"X4", ceramic resin.  |
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