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!