At Binche, the Gilles' morning masks are made of wax.
The wax mask is a defining part of the Gille costume at the Carnival of Binche. Gilles put on the traditional masks during the morning proceedings, when they gather, dance to drums and move through the town. The masks have a recognizable human face and help mark the performers as part of Binche's distinctive ritual world.
The mask is not worn throughout the entire day. After the Gilles reach the town hall, they remove the masks for the afternoon celebrations. They may then wear large white hats decorated with ostrich feathers and take part in the parade, including the traditional distribution or throwing of oranges.
Paper, leather and wood are plausible carnival-mask materials, but they are not the canonical answer for the morning Gille mask. The costume also includes a linen suit, wooden clogs, bells and straw padding. Mask-wearing has a complicated history in Binche: the earliest written references to the Gilles date to 1795, when the revolutionary authorities were trying to prohibit masks.