Egypt, Third Intermediate Period to Saite Period, ca. 1070 to 525 BCE. This is a wooden, painted mask, probably used for the mummy of a poorer person. The face probably reflects the true features of the deceased, with a thin nose and large ears. The eyes are almond-shaped in the classic Egyptian style. The headdress is banded lines and circles painted white, blak, red, and a pale blue; the color is still very clear over most of the surface. Mummy masks were both representative -- as the face and head of the deceased -- and useful, as they allowed the use of the senses after death. Although many of the Egyptian mummy masks that we are used to seeing in media are gaudy metal affairs, a mask like this reminds us that mummification was practiced at all levels of Egyptian society and that even a poorer family would have spent their resources on ensuring that their loved ones had a proper burial. Size: 11"H x 10"W at widest x 5" across at bottom (28 cm x 25-1/2 cm x 13 cm).

Provenance: Ex-Simonian Collection, Switzerland, acquired in early 1980s.

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#110504

Intact with age-related wear. Painted pattern visible across most of the headdress.