Cochalino Innamorato

(Cochalino in Love)

There is really no info about the story of this mask. But it looks, from a little analysis of what is said about him in the various versions of this etching, that:

• Cochalino seems to be an old guy that uses a mask to pretend to have a better look, so he can be accepted by the lady he loves
• The poor guy has got a hunchback, and dresses like a monk
• The lute he plays is kind of strange looking: it has two set of heads with 6 tuning keys each: low and high octave?
• This lute looks a lot like the colascione.
  Cochalino ... colascione ... sort of an anagram?

These are the commentaries that appear on different versions of this same image:

“Cochalino Innamorato qual,
Sfoga l'Ardor suo col
Canto verso la sua Diva”

“Cochalino in Love who,
lets out his Ardor with
Singing towards his Diva”

Cochalino becomes a little more daring in another version of the same image, offering money for a kiss:

“Colonna voi donarve un bel zecchin
Se quado mi ve fago un repeton
Abbandone delongo quel balcon
c'vegni a dar un baso a Coccalin”

“Colonna I will give you one nice Gold Coin
If when it comes I may repeat my song
Leave soon that balcony
and come and give a kiss to Coccalin”