Ancient Egypt, Ptolemaic to Roman periods, ca. 332 to 30 BCE. A carved wooden mummy mask with a gilded face and gesso painted details. The face has a bulbous headdress, painted in alternating, brightly-colored bands of white, orange, red, blue, and green. The face is classically Egyptian, with the characteristic huge eyes outlined by heavy black and thick eyebrows; a diminutive nose, pointed chin, and sensuous, mysteriously smiling lips. The flat wooden back is unpainted and uncarved. Size: 4.85" W x 8.45" H (12.3 cm x 21.5 cm); 10" H (25.4 cm) on included custom stand.

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. So 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." (Obelisk inscription by Thutmose III - J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Two, p. 321)

Provenance: private New York, USA collection

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#125295

Small areas of loss and wear on surface as expected from age, with craquelure on painted gesso.