Punitive
Masks are sometimes used to punish the wearer either by signalling their humiliation or causing direct suffering:
- A "shameful" mask (Schandmaske in German) is devised for public humiliation; a popular reduced form are donkey ears for a bad pupil or student
- Particularly uncomfortable types, such as an iron mask, for example the Scold's bridle, are fit as devices for torture or corporal punishment
- 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.
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Famous quotes containing the word punitive:
“America is a nation fundamentally ambivalent about its children, often afraid of its children, and frequently punitive toward its children.”
—Letty Cottin Pogrebin (20th century)