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Mummy Mask of a Woman

Roman Period
A.D. 60–70
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 133
Plaster masks seem to have been particularly popular in Middle Egypt. They develop of course from Egyptian traditions, but appearances could be strongly individualized and Roman fashions of hairstyle, dress and jewelry were followed to varying degrees. This mask is very similar to a group from Meir and almost certainly came from that site. The woman is represented as if lying flat upon her bier. She wears a long Egyptian-style wig made of plant fibers, a deep-red tunic with black clavi (stripes), and jewelry that includes a lunula (crescent pendant), and snake bracelets. At the lower edge of her tunic are two holes, which were used for attaching the mask to the mummy.

The back of her head is then represented as resting on a decorated support. Over the top of her head is a gilded wreath encircling a scarab beetle that represents the sun appearing at dawn, a metaphor for rebirth. The interstices and surrounding area are filled with a complex patterned ground, with the sides filled by a register of tyet knots and djed pillars, symbols of Isis and Osiris. A main register runs around the edge of the mask which centers on the god Osiris, the source of regenerative power, who is flanked by Isis and Nephthys. To the right of Osiris and the two goddesses are Horus, Amun, Thoth, and Re. To the left are Anubis, Tefnut, Hathor, and Seshat. These gods serve as witnesses to the deceased's resurrection.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Mummy Mask of a Woman
  • Period: Roman Period
  • Date: A.D. 60–70
  • Geography: From Egypt; Possibly from Middle Egypt, Meir
  • Medium: Cartonnage, plaster, paint, plant fibers
  • Dimensions: l. 63 cm (24 13/16 in); w. 33 cm (13 in); h. 53 (20 7/8 in)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1919
  • Object Number: 19.2.6
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

Audio

Cover Image for 2210. Mummy Mask

2210. Mummy Mask

Costume: The Art of Dress

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SARAH JESSICA PARKER: This Egyptian funerary mask was made just under a hundred years after the Romans defeated Cleopatra. It comes from a long tradition of mummy masks in Egypt, and the long wavy hair and blue-green eyeliner remind us of Egyptian styles. The gods around the support and the scarab beetle at the back are also Egyptian. But notice the wreath across the woman’s forehead. This comes from the Greeks, who began settling in Egypt with Alexander the Great in 332 BC. There are Roman details, too, like the vertical stripes on her tunic and the boxy earrings. By the way, the earrings and the bead necklace are attached with string, so they actually move. And that’s the original string!

If you’d like to look at more jewelry, there’s some in the wall case nearby. But before you move on, take another look at this mask. It’s very expressive, especially around the mouth, but the features are less specifically a portrait than others you’ll see in this gallery. Maybe they were custom-made, while this one, was more . . . off the rack!

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