Objekt 2149
Morgestraich, get ready, march!
Description
In 2017, the Basler Fasnacht (Carnival of Basel) was officially accepted as
a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage. While early forms of carnival have
been documented since the 15th century, the carnival has only evolved into
its current form from the 19th century onwards. Since 1835, it has opened
with the so-called Morgestraich. It has existed as a three-day spectacle with
cross-regional appeal since the 1920s. This mask – called Larve in Basel –
hints at the reliquary of Saint Ursula in the Münster treasury and thereby
in 1994 commemorated the centenary of the founding of the Basel Historical
Museum.
Object description
Larve of the drum major in the carnival clique ‘Olympia Alti Garde’
Basel, Carnival 1995
paper maché over a core of polystyrene, ormolu, oil paint, pebbles, velcro tape, other materials
donated by ‘Olympia Alti Garde’, Basel
Inv. 1995.420.