Sights from the ancient Venetian rite of spring are on display in Dubai
Venice is a city associated with beauty, luxury and romance. Due to its location on the Adriatic Sea and thanks to adventurous 13th-century Venetian merchants such as Marco Polo, for many centuries the city controlled the entire trade of silk and other exotic items from China and the Orient.
The prosperity this brought is reflected in the city’s architecture, its patronage of artists and the opulent lifestyle of 17th century Venetians.
Perhaps the best known tradition of Venice and one that truly reflects the romance of its days as the Queen of the Adriatic, is the Carnivale. Think of Venice and you cannot help think of the elaborate ball gowns and beautiful masks that were designed for the Carnivale.
The concept of the Carnivale is over 3,000 years old, when tribes living in the area held it as a celebration of spring. Celebrated in February every year, Carnivale parties are still held on the streets and in the many palaces built along the canals.
Venice comes to town
Dubai residents can enjoy some of the flavour of the Carnivale and of Venice at the Venetian promotion hosted by Vivaldi restaurant at the Sheraton Dubai Creek Hotel & Towers.
The promotion, which will continue till November 30, features authentic Venetian dishes prepared by award-winning executive chef Celestino Giacomello from Venice’s renowned Gritti Palace hotel.
And to create the right ambience, the restaurant has been decorated with colourful masks and authentic 17th and 18th century Carnivale costumes.
Mannequins around the restaurant show the embroidered and highly embellished gowns, tunics, elaborate wigs and hats worn by Venetians in olden times. A variety of masks with gold, sequins, fabric flowers and ostrich, peacock and pheasant feathers, are displayed on the walls.
The costumes and masks on show are the creations of Venetian artist Antonia Sautter. She is an interior designer by profession, but has a passion for recreating period costumes and interiors.
She has spent years researching ancient fabrics and the lifestyle of wealthy Venetians, and is a world-renowned expert on the subject. Her creations are popular as decorations and worn by Venetians during the Carnivale.
She also organises themed Venetian balls for the rich and famous all over the world. Sautter’s costumes and masks were used in Eyes Wide Shut, for which she designed the masks for Nicole Kidman, Tom Cruise and others.
She also specialises in recreating, in minute detail, the interiors of Venetian palaces of the baroque period. She has recently created the fabrics for Gucci’s latest collection of bags.
“Copying period costumes and interiors is easy, but re-creating them requires a lot of painstaking work. The fabrics I use are woven and hand dyed by exactly the same techniques that were used in the olden days and the patterns are based on my research of traditional icons,” she says.
Sautter took me around the restaurant and explained the history behind the costumes and masks: “Up to the early 18th century, Venice enjoyed exclusivity in trade with China, making Venetians extremely wealthy and giving them access to the finest silks.
But by 1750, the Chinese found new markets in America and Venice’s economy started declining.
Times of opulence
“That was a time of uncertainty and the city’s nobility and elite used the Carnivale to take their minds off things. They hosted parties every night in palaces and arranged the most exclusive and exotic entertainment. And they dressed in opulent costumes made from the finest and most precious silks, beads, sequins and lace to cling to their past.”
Pointing to a mannequin couple dressed in white and black, Sautter told me that during the 17th century, pastel colours were in vogue and were seen in paintings, frescoes as well as on costumes and masks.
She said that while the silks and velvets came from the Orient, the exquisite lace was handmade on the Venetian island of Burano and the beautiful beads, sequins and stones came form the island of Murano.
“The male mannequin represents Casanova, one of the most famous Venetians of the 18th century. The mask he holds in his hand is called La Bauta. While most masks were made of papier-mâché, this one is made from leather.
"It was shaped to fit in such a way that it disguised not only the face but also the voice of the wearer. Also it allowed the men to sniff tobacco without taking off the mask,” explained Sautter.
The history of masks
Talking about the history of the masks, Sautter told me that the long pointed noses on ancient masks represented the beaks of birds seen in Venice in spring. But later, as class distinctions were eliminated with the decline in the economy, masks became a convenient means to hide one’s identity.
“The Carnivale concept signified that all levels of society could come together, without anyone knowing who was behind the costume, mask and hat,” she said.
“My research has shown that in the olden days, there was a secret language of masks and hand-held fans. In those days, noble women were not allowed to speak to men. But young [people] managed to communicate their feelings by the way they held their mask or moved the fans.”
Explaining nuances in design, Sautter said some of the costumes on display at Vivaldi have been inspired by the Middle East. These include costumes and masks embellished with peacock feathers.
Sautter’s favourite is called Sherezade. Embellished with strings of pearls and intricate gold embroidery, it is coupled with a burqa’a-like mask made of gilded metal lace.
“This is my first visit to this region, and I have always imagined it to be an exotic and mysterious place. I based my design on that vision and am surprised to see how well it fits in with the local culture. However, Dubai is much more beautiful than I could have ever imagined,” she said.
Every year in February, Sautter hosts Il Ballo del Doge - an exclusive Carnivale event. Held at the Palazzo Pisani Moretta, by the Grand Canal, the party is a re-creation of an 18th century Venetian ball.
The palace, decorated with period frescoes, is lit by thousands of candles and features historic Venetian dishes, music and other live entertainment. Celebrities from all over the world rent or buy Sautter’s costumes to attend the ball.
“Modern Dubai enjoys a position quite similar to that held by Venice up to the mid-eighteenth century. I would love to hold an authentic Venetian ball here,” said Sautter.
The exhibition
Chef Celestino Giacomello has been the executive chef at the Gritti Palace for 10 years. He has won numerous awards including gold medals at international, European and world championships and at the 2000 Cooking Olympics.
His special menu includes specialities such as large Venetian spaghetti in anchovy sauce, Venetian style calf’s liver served with polenta, pasta and beans served with scallops and fried pastry.
A set menu has been created for lunch, while the al la carte dinner is accompanied by a performance of Venetian classics by the restaurant’s Italian singers.
The masks, ranging from miniature decorative items to huge wall pieces, are on sale. Prices range from Dh40 to Dh2,350. Also on sale is a selection of Murano glass items. The promotion continues till November 30.
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