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Mummy Mask

Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek

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.

  • ÆIN 297
  • Portrait
  • 1st-3rd century CE
  • Egypt: Late Period
  • Plaster, linen, plant fibre, animal glue, paint, gold
  • Acquired at the end of the 19th century in Egypt.
  • H: 22cm, W: 37cm, L: 60cm

Selected photos

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  • 17_aein297_back_vil

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