Traditional Costumes
Blätzlibajass
Sewn together with Bits of Cloth
The Blätzlibajass is a buffoon. The costume is made of small pieces of cloth (Basel dialect ‘Blätzli’). It is quite possible that ‘Bajass’ is derived from the French Paillasse (a character in the comédie italienne).
Bajazzo German for Pagliaccio
Bajazzo, which is the German expression for the Italian Pagliaccio, refers to a clown or a prankster. Thus, this figure takes its roots from the Commedia dell’arte. There the Pagliaccio was a servant figure, a so-called Zani.
Fabric made of Felt
Today the fabric used to create these costumes is felt. Tongue-shaped bits are sewn together by hand. Usually the pieces are the same size and colour-coordinated so that one could speak of a kind of scale dress.
Origin of the Pieces of Fabric unclear
At some point felt became the preferred fabric for a Blätzlibajass. Possibly this was only the case after the Second World War. We can only speculate about the reasons. On the one hand felt is easy to work with and has warming properties. On the other hand it was relatively cheap to acquire. Some authors claim that old fabric leftovers were originally used. Ultimately, however, there is no evidence for this. We can only speculate about why the Basel Bajazzo was provided with pieces of fabric. Is it a variation on the different coloured rhombs of the harlequin which are also said to have been only patchwork at first? After all, making a harlequin was more difficult and also more expensive. Or is there even an influence of certain Alemannic jester costumes that are quite similar?
Costume
The costume is usually made up of two pieces and is held together by a neck ruff. Other distinct attributes of the costume are a pointed hat which can be traced back to the Commedia dell’arte and a pointed nose. The wig is made from fiber. The Blätzlibajass is known for its cheerful nature.
