Plaster mummy mask of a woman with snake bracelets

            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 (flax) 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.

Romano-Egyptian
ca. 60-70 CE
From Meir, Egypt
Cartonnage, plaster, paint, flax fibers

Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (19.2.6)
   

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Taken on: November 9, 2018

Tags:

mummy mask

portrait

flax

Meir

Egypt

Romano-Egyptian

Roman

Egyptian

snake bracelets

clavi

tunic

scarab

rebirth

djed pillar

Isis

Osiris

tyet knot

Nephthys

Horus

Amun

Thoth

Anubis

Tefnut

Hathor

Seshat

resurrection

cartonnage

plaster

polychrome

polychromy

pigments

Met Museum

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Sets appears in: • Ancient polychrome • Ancient funerary artifacts and art more » • Egyptian antiquities • Met Museum « less

Groups appears in: • Museum • Roman Empire more » • The Ancient World • Museums and Galleries • World Archaeology & Arts/ΑΡΧΑΙΟΛΟΓΙΑ&ΤΕΧΝΕΣ-Rea • Egyptian Art & Sculpture in Museums • Museums of the World • Ancient Egyptian Art • World Archaeology • The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York • Ancient Paint - Pittura Antica • Ancient Egyptian Sarcophagi and Mummy Masks • Masterworks in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. • Ancient / Archaeological • square cut or pear shaped • Ancient Polychromy « less

Camera: Apple iPhone X, f/2.4, 1/10 sec, 6mm, ISO 160 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Apple iPhone X
Lens:	iPhone X back dual camera 6mm f/2.4
Aperture:	f/2.4
Exposure Time:	0.1 sec (1/10)
Focal Length:	6mm
ISO:	160
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	12.1.1
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