In 1349, at the height of the Black Death, a physician appeared in southern Italy whose name history did not preserve. In surviving chronicles, he is referred to only as the "White Doctor." His distinctive mark was an unusual mask - not only a form of protection but also a symbol of his vow. Across the leather surface were engraved scenes: a doctor tending to the sick, alchemical symbols of health and longevity, and figures representing hope and healing.
Legends claim he swore never to abandon a patient, even at the cost of his own life. Many considered him possessed: he spent nights at the bedsides of the dying, administering concoctions made from wormwood, myrrh, and rosemary, and reciting incantations copied from the margins of medical treatises.
The mask created today is an original reconstruction, inspired by these accounts. Its engraving preserves the essential themes: the fight for life, service in the face of fear, and faith in healing. Specific decorative elements - depictions of elixir vessels, protective signs, and ancient medical symbols - recreate the spirit of an era when a doctor was the last barrier between life and death.
The mask is handcrafted from vegetable-tanned leather and engraved using precision laser techniques, blending traditional craftsmanship with modern technological excellence.
This mask is not merely a tribute to the past. It is a reminder of the courage of those who choose compassion when the world succumbs to fear.