In the context of epidemics, the concept of hygiene was different from today’s understanding. Medical clothing was not associated with disposable cleanliness. Masks, gowns, gloves were not discarded after each use. They were kept, reused, and passed between shifts. The possibilities for washing, disinfecting, and replacing were limited. In such circumstances, contamination was seen as part of the overall process, not a reason to replace the item.
Bloodstains on masks and clothing appeared naturally – during examinations, dissections, and emergency procedures. Sometimes they were the marks of the patient, sometimes of the doctor. These stains were not separately recorded, commented on, or emphasized. They simply remained. These traces on the fabric were a sign of intense and continuous contact with bodies, with breath, with the consequences of the disease.
Recreating such a mask today is not an illustration of fear or horror. It is the restoration of a detail that maintains a direct connection to real practice. The blood on the surface does not become a symbol – it remains a working trace. Behind it lies a moment of action, of effort, of the choice to continue. And this is its essential meaning.