Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A spectacular example of a hand-carved cedar mask adorned with brilliant pigments atop a thin layer of gesso. Gazing out from huge, piercing eyes, the visage is sensitively rendered with a naturalistic nose, a pointed chin, and a gentle smile, all beneath a towering headdress with liberal remains of painted blue stripes. Funerary masks like this one would have attached to the exterior of a sarcophagus lid rather than to the face of a mummy, hence the still-present wooden pegs and dowel holes seen on the verso. A sensuous mask showcasing the quintessential ancient Egyptian funerary artistry! Size: 4.25" W x 8.9" H (10.8 cm x 22.6 cm); 12" H (30.5 cm) on included custom stand.

Ancient Egyptians believed it was of the utmost importance to preserve a body of the deceased, as the soul needed a place to reside after the death. Conservation of the body was done via mummification - a process involving the removal of internal organs that were placed in canopic jars, wrapping the body in linen, and then embalming. Death masks, such as this, were created so that the soul could recognize the body and return to it and, thus, were carved in the likeness of the deceased. Artisans used different materials. Earlier masks were carved from wood, while later ones were made of cartonnage, a material made from papyrus or linen and soaked in plaster which was then applied to a wooden mold, was used. Royal death masks, perhaps the most famous being that of Tutankhamen, were made from precious metals.

The mask was an essential part of the mummy, placed over the head to provide an idealized image of the deceased as they would be resurrected. This mask and others like it were traditionally carved from cedar. Interestingly, cedar wood was not native to Egypt. Egypt did not have verdant forests filled with tall trees, and unfortunately most of its native lumber was of relatively poor quality. Thus, they relied on importing to acquire hardwoods - ebony imported from Africa, cedar and pine from Lebanon. One fabulous obelisk inscription by Thutmose III attests to the luxury of treasured hardwoods. It reads as follows, "They brought to me the choicest products...consisting of cedar, juniper and of meru wood...all the good sweet woods of God's Land." The rarity of cedar meant that masks like this example were reserved for those who could afford them.

Provenance: private West Hollywood, California, USA collection; ex-private Santa Monica, California, USA collection, acquired in New York before 2000

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#179180

Fragment of a larger piece with chipping to peripheries and some losses to gesso and pigments on headdress. Old inactive insect holes on verso, as well as 5 dowel holes and 2 wood pegs. Expected nicks and abrasions commensurate with age, but nice preservation of pigments and details on face.