Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 BC. A cartonnage mummy mask with gilded face with painted details to the eyes and mouth, wearing a tripartite wig with painted headband of petals, to the top a winged sun-disc; broad collar to the neck with bands of floral decoration. 170 grams, 29cm (11 1/2"). Property of a London gentleman; acquired before 1980. In ancient Egypt gold was believed to have a magical potency and believed to contain significant religious properties. Gold did not tarnish or deteriorate. But more importantly gold shone like the sun and was therefore credited with the powers of the sun god, Ra. Egyptian gold was therefore referred to as the 'Flesh of the Gods'. Due to its association with the sun-god it was used on the faces of funerary masks which represent the deceased as the new-born sun at dawn. During the Ptolemaic period the use of mummy masks became increasingly common. A mummy mask served as protection but could also act as a substitute for the mummified head should it be damaged or lost.

Fine condition, some restoration.