Mummy Mask

Summary

Mummy mask of a woman from the Roman period in Egypt with gilded face, and depicted clothing painted with multiple colours; on the backside is depicted a falcon holding the feather of Maat in its wingtips.

Description of object

The cartonnage mask is made using a mould, layered textile support, and a plaster surface. It has then been painted, gilded, and plant fibres were added for the hair. The mask is an almost three-dimensional portrayal of a woman’s upper body and face, with gilded face, curly black hair, and a pink hairband styled as a flower garland.

She wears a tunic with clavi (vertical stripes) in black, pink, and blue, and a fringed yellow mantle with red and pink stripes. The garments are stylized, not exact real-life representations, making details hard to decipher. A black zigzag pattern on the abdomen could symbolize a lotus flower or mummy bandages.

She is adorned with gilded jewellery, including a necklace with a lunula pendant, arm rings, a finger ring, and bracelets. The backside features a falcon with a solar disc and feather of Maat, flanked by red and green stripes, possibly mimicking a coffin.

Choice of methods

Visual examination

• Macroscopic

Technical imaging

• UV
• VIL
• IR
• Raking light

Sampling

• Cross section
• Microscopy
• Proteomics, textile
• SEM/EDX
• FT-IR
• MBR

Bibliography

Kasso et al. 2024. Facing Death: A Multidisciplinary Analysis of a Romano-Egyptian Mummy Mask at the Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen. Heritage Science (In press).

Müller A. Ägyptens schöne Gesichter : die Mumienmasken der Römischen Kaiserzeit und ihre Funktion im Totenritual. Wiesbaden: Reichert Verlag, 2021.

Rindi Nuzzolo C. The Excavations at Ismant Al-Kharab: Volume 1 – Roman Period Cartonnage from the Kellis 1 Cemetery. Edited by Colin A. Hope and Gillian E. Bowen. Oxbow Books; 2023.