Farnham

The work of an Italian master craftsman is celebrated in a special exhibition and a new book published by the Farnham based Squires Group.

Stunning examples of the work of Professor Agostino Dessì can be seen in the book and at the Squires Kitchen Sugarcraft shop, Waverley Lane, and Ottakers bookshop in the Lion and Lamb yard.

The sales and marketing manager of the Squires Group, Andrew Nice, explained the masks are works of art in their own right.

“We have 50 masks in our shop, they have each been hand-made. Agostino’s work is internationally renowned, he has been a mask maker for more than 30 years and he has produced a very wide variety of masks”, said Andrew.

The book, titled The Masks of Professor Agostino Dessì, is hard backed and glossy.

It is a colourful addition to any coffee table and, as well as providing a history of the craft and the various masks, it gives instructions for anyone who would like to try to make a mask for themselves.

The tradition of mask making is believed to date back hundreds of years, to days when the Commedia dell’Arte players would wear various masks to portray the characters in early theatrical productions.

A team from Dutton Publishing, which is part of the Squires Group, attended an official launch of the book in Venice last month. The bookshops in the city quickly sold out of copies during the busy carnival season.

The team then travelled to the professor’s current home town, Florence, where a book launch was attended by special guests including the president and vice-president of the prestigious Accademia di Belle Arti di Firenze.

Commissions for the masks have been accepted by the professor from celebrities and they are made by using a cast of the clients’ face.