Face of a Mummy Mask

Summary

The mummy mask is crafted from painted and gilded plaster, originally using textile as support which is only a little visible from the modern restoration on the backside.

Description of object

All that remains of this mummy mask is the face, which is that of a young man with dark curly hair, a golden skin and a dark curly beard. The face is made of plaster, gilded with a red bolus and painted. The eyes are inlaid with limestone and glass. The dating is based on the curly coiffure and short curly beard, which conform to Roman fashion during the reigns of Hadrian (117-138) and Antoninus Pius (138-161).

Choice of methods

Technical imaging

• UV
• IR

Sampling

• Cross section
• Proteomics
• SEM/EDX
• FT-IR

Bibliography

Jørgensen, M. Egypt III : Coffins, Mummy Adornments and Mummies from the Third Intermediate, Late, Ptolemaic and the Roman Periods (1080 BC – AD 400): Catalogue: Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek. Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek; 2001.