Columbine is a stock character in the commedia dell'arte. She is Harlequin's mistress, a comic servant playing the tricky slave type, and wife of Pierrot.

The role of the female servant was originally that of an entr'acte dancer. Women were not allowed to be part of the story that was being played out on stage, but they were allowed to have a dance in-between the action. Eventually these women became the buxom and gossipy servants of characters that were already allowed on stage, and then, later, the counterparts to the Zanni characters. Columbine was very down to earth and could always see the situation for what it actually was. She was also sometimes portrayed as a prostitute. She was very infrequently without something to say to or about someone.

She is dressed in a very short ragged and patched dress, appropriate to a master of the arts. These characters were usually played unmasked, but with bonnets and metal chokers. She was also known to wear heavy makeup around her eyes and carry a tambourine, which she could use to fend off the amorous advances of Pantalone. Columbine was sometimes chased after by Harlequin (Arlecchino) or was close friends with him. There is record of Columbine using numerous disguises to trick or seduce Harlequin. Where most other characters are content with one disguise, Gheraldi's Columbine has several different disguises to confuse Harlequin and to keep the audience on their toes.

She was sometimes the only functional intellect on the stage, but not always. Columbine aided her mistress, the innamorata, to gain the affections of her one true love. She is sometimes the lover of Harlequin, but not always. They sometimes engage in sexual activity, but not always. She may be a flirtatious and impudent character, indeed a soubrette.

Although Columbine is one name associated with the female servant prostitute character archetype, other names under which the same character is played in commedia dell'arte performances include Franceschina, Smeraldina, Oliva, Nespola, Spinetta Ricciolina, and Corallina Diamantina. Colombina became the most common name used to describe the sobretta character, especially as Colombine in France and Columbine in England.

In the verismo opera Pagliacci by Ruggero Leoncavallo, the head of the troupe's wife, Nedda, playing as Columbine, cheats on her husband, Canio, playing as Pierrot, both onstage with Harlequin and offstage with Silvio.

All published appearances of Columbine from before January 1, )-(95)}} are public domain in the US.

* Une Vie de Scaramouche (1695)
* Pagliacci (1892)
* The Whiteness of Pierrot (1895)

* Pierrot, Columbine, and Harlequin by Pierre-Antoine Quillard (1733)
* Arlecchino und Colombina (18th Century)
* Pierrot and Columbine by Pablo Picasso (1900)

* The Eternal Adventure of Pierrot and Columbine (1898)
* Harlequin's Lane (1927): During a performance at a weekend party at Ashmead, Anna Denman is dressed as Columbine and Mr. Quin is dressed as Harlequin.

*[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Columbine_(stock_character) Wikipedia]
*[https://comicvine.gamespot.com/columbine/4005-118496/issues-cover/ ComicVine]
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