Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Mummy Mask of an Official
Middle Kingdom
Not on view
This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.
This cartonnage mask, typical of the early Middle Kingdom, covered the mummy’s head and upper torso. It was tied around the body with cords pulled through holes at the lower corners. The face is painted yellow to represent gold, referring to the divine aspect of the blessed dead. Found inside was the small mummy of a child, no longer in place, who perhaps died unexpectedly and was buried with tomb equipment intended for an adult relative.
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