Guy Fawkes Mask. Anonymous Mask. V for Vendetta. [1½" Diameter Button]
The Guy Fawkes mask is a stylised depiction of Guy Fawkes, the best-known member of the Gunpowder Plot. The plot was an attempt to blow up the House of Lords in London on 5 November 1605, in order to restore a Catholic head of state. The use of a mask on an effigy has long roots as part of Guy Fawkes Night celebrations.
A stylised portrayal of a face with a smile and red cheeks, a wide moustache upturned at both ends, and a thin vertical pointed beard, designed by illustrator David Lloyd, came to represent broader protest after it was used as a major plot element in V for Vendetta, published in 1982, and its 2005 film adaptation. After appearing in Web forums, the mask became a well-known symbol for the online hacktivist group Anonymous, used in Project Chanology, the Occupy movement, Anonymous for the Voiceless, and other anti-government and anti-establishment protests around the world, this has led to the popular name anonymous mask.
