role closer to the ritual and performance function. punitive a medieval "mask of shame" masks are sometimes used to punish the wearer either by signalling their humiliation or causing direct suffering: particularly uncomfortable types, such as an iron mask, for example the scold's bridle, are fit as devices for humiliation, corporal punishment or torture. masks were used to alienate and silence prisoners in australian jails in the late 19th century. they were made of white cloth and covered the face, leaving only the eyes visible. use of masks is also common in bdsm practices. fashion makeup simulates a half-sided mask on this man for halloween decorative masks may be worn as part of a costume outside of ritual or ceremonial functions. this is often described as a masque, and relates closely to carnival styles. for example, attendants of a costume party will sometimes wear masks as part of their costumes. several artists in the 20th and 21st century, such as isamaya ffrench and damselfrau, create masks as wearable art. wrestling masks are used most widely in mexican and japanese wrestling. a wrestler's mask is usually related to a wrestler's persona (for example, a wrestler known as 'the panda' might wear a mask with a panda's facial markings). often, wrestlers will put their masks on the line against other wrestlers' masks, titles or an opponent's hair. while in mexico and japan, masks are a sign of tradition, they are looked down upon in the united states and canada. several bands and performers, notably members of the groups slipknot, mental creepers and gwar, and the guitarist buckethead, wear masks when they perform on stage. several other groups, including kiss, alice cooper, and dimmu borgir simulate the effect with facepaint. hollywood undead also wears masks but often remove them mid-performance. leather-working, steampunk, and other methods and themes are occasionally used to create artisanal gas masks. in works of fiction masks have been used in many horror films to conceal the identities of the killer. notable examples include jason voorhees of the friday the 13th series, jigsaw killer from saw, ghostface of the scream series, and michael myers of the halloween series. other types a "buccal mask" is a mask that covers only the cheeks (hence the adjective "buccal") and mouth. a death mask is a mask either cast from or applied to the face of a recently deceased person. a "facial" (short for facial mask) is a temporary mask, not solid, used in cosmetics or as therapy for skin treatment. a "life mask" is a plaster cast of a face, used as a model for making a painting or sculpture. an animal roleplay mask is used for people to create a more animal-like image in fetish role play. gallery kwakwaka'wakw, baleen whale mask, 19th century, brooklyn museum a cherokee ceremonial mask made of wood various balinese topeng dance masks fools meeting or parade, meßkirch, germany dance mask (takü), 20th century, brooklyn museum; these full-body masks are worn for the mourning, or ónyo ("weeping"), ceremony, a multi-day ritual held approximately a year after an individual's death taiwanese president tsai ing-wen wearing a surgical mask during the covid-19 pandemic life mask of ludwig van beethoven, c. 1812. the wellcome collection, london life mask of abraham lincoln by leonard volk in 1860. mask wearing customers in downtown budapest. from the picture album "shunyū bijo no yukaeri" 19th century performers with masks. mosaic. house of the tragic poet, pompeii mask of silen. bronze. first half of 1st century bc