Theater Masks - Sock and Buskin - Carrollton, GA
Posted by: 
YoSam.
N 33° 34.610 W 085° 04.428
16S E 678770 N 3716899
The traditional sign of a theater, or place of actors.
Waymark Code: WM1162P
Location: Georgia, United States
Date Posted: 08/22/2019
Views: 4
County of art: Carroll County
Location of art: Tanner St. & Center St., Carrollton
Large versions of the masks are erected on the street corner, across from a park and on the edge of a private home...no plaque, no sign, just hanging there. Beautiful and well done, but why? is a puzzle.
The masks are over 2 feet tall, and about 16 inches wide; made of metal (possible steel) and painted. In very good condition, no chips or rust.
"The sock and buskin are two ancient symbols of comedy and tragedy. In Greek theatre, actors in tragic roles wore a boot called a buskin (Latin cothurnus). The actors with comedic roles only wore a thin soled shoe called a sock (Latin soccus).
"Melpomene, the muse of tragedy, is often depicted holding the tragic mask and wearing buskins. Thalia, the muse of comedy, is similarly associated with the mask of comedy and comic’s socks. Some people refer to the masks themselves as "Sock and Buskin."" ~ Wikipedia
"Since the dawn of theater, many cultures from around the world elected to represent actors as other persons of beings, enabling performances that were much more striking and effective. Theater traditions in both West and the Asia adopted masks as one of the most important tools that could be used on stage, often creating plays that were fully acted by masked actors. Most notable example of this approach was born in ancient Greece, specifically the state-city of Athens where culture, poetry, and art were valued as an important foundation of daily lives. Stage drama received special care, enabling quick popularization of three main types of plays– tragedy, comedy, and satyr play (comedic satire).
"The earliest example of masks was used for various religious ceremonies such as rituals, celebrations, festivals, rites of passages, recreations of folk stories, pageants, and many other ceremonies of ancient origins. Some of the older masks used in religious healing date up to 3500 years ago in Ancient China. Traditions of those events translated well into the creation of organized use of masks in China around 13th century AD. Murals and paintings from that time described the use of various masks during ceremonies performed by sorcerers, exorcism masks and theater performances that were at first performed only to royalty and nobility." ~ History of Masks