Late Period, ca. 663-323 BC. A beaded mummy mask made of delicate faience beads in green, cream, red, and black. The face is highly stylised with large trapezoidal eyes, long, thin brows, a broad, undetailed nose, a small mouth. Beaded mummy masks of this type became popular during the Late Period in Egypt and were probably meant to be representations of the god Osiris, as evidenced by the green skin tone, instead of naturalistic portraits of the deceased as was more common in painted wooden masks. All mummy masks served an elaborate and important role in Egyptian funerary rituals as they served to protect the deceased's face and head in their travels to the underworld, and in some cases helped to elevate the deceased to a god-like status through adoptions of godly attributes such as blue or gold skin. Size: L:106mm / W:136mm ; 45g Provenance: From the collection of a London gentleman; formerly acquired in early 2000s; previously in 1970s UK collection.