The Moretta or Servetta Muta (trans: dumb maid-servant) is a black velvet, oval shaped mask that was worn by Venetian ladies. Covering all but the outer edge of the face, the Moretta was secured to the wearer by way of a small bit that was held in place by the teeth.
By the 18th centaury the use of the Bauta and Moretta masks to conceal the identity of ladies and gentlemen in the gambling houses (Il Ridotti) of Venice had become commonplace. Many paintings of the crowded parlours of the public ridotto and coffee houses of this period were depicted by the artists Pietro (Falca) Longhi and Giovanni Antonio “Gianantonio” Guardi.
