Zanni

Common card · No. 201523

Zanni (Italian: [ˈdzanni]), Zani or Zane is a character type of the early modern Italian comedy form commedia dell'arte, who is best known as an astute servant and a trickster. The Zanni comes from the countryside and is known to be a "dispossessed immigrant worker". Through time, the Zanni grew to be a popular figure who was first seen in commedia as early as the 14th century. The English word zany derives from this type of character. The longer the nose on the character's mask, the more foolish the character.

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