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Egypt, Ptolemaic period, ca. 332 to 30 BCE. Beautifully crafted from imported wood layered with gesso and linen, a stunning gilded mummy mask meant for a male child with a stylized, theatrical countenance. A slender pair of arms cross over the chest, each elongated finger with an incised nail bed which perhaps held inlaid ornamentation and presented with copious amounts of gilding. A minimalist wesekh collar droops between a pair of lotus blossoms, with similar linear and stippled motifs in red, white, and green detailing much of the torso and brow line. The visage is comprised of almond-shaped eyes outlined in black, a prominent nose, full lips and cheeks, cupped ears, and painted eyebrows atop a smooth forehead. Five raised bulbs adorn the crest of the brow, leading back towards zigzag motifs on an orange ground and black-and-white triangles on the verso. Custom fabric-lined mount and wooden display stand included. Size: 12″ W x 16″ H (30.5 cm x 40.6 cm); 17″ H (43.2 cm) on included custom stand.
The helmet mask, which had fallen out of favor in earlier dynastic periods, saw a resurgence of popularity during the era of Greek rule. The masks would have been placed over the head of a mummy, with the rest of the body adorned with separate cartonnage pieces. However, renowned Egyptologist Dr. Salima Ikram explains how, “as the Ptolemaic Period progressed, these separate cartonnage pieces had a tendency to join together, producing a single sheet over the front of the mummy” (Ikram, Salima, and Aidan Dodson. The Mummy in Ancient Egypt: Equipping the Dead for Eternity. Thames and Hudson, London, 1998, p. 187). This example is one that appears to have been part of a larger, single-sheet construction based on the uneven way the painted details seem to end as well as the jaggedness of the bottom periphery, seemingly cut away from the lower portion in a crude and unconscientious operation.
Given the size of both the sarcophagus mask itself as well as the interior head cavity, this was likely made for a child from a prominent, upper-class family. While gilding was a popular decorative element for later Egyptian sarcophagi, embellishing with gold was reserved solely for those who could afford such luxuries. The craftsmanship of the construction, intricate yet simple painted adornments, and inlaid fingernails suggest an abundance of wealth, with rich pigmentation hues of crimson, jet, emerald, and pearl helping to reinforce this notion.
For another example of the Ptolemaic gilded helmet mask style, please see the British Museum, #EA50668: http://www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=156287&partId=1&searchText=ptolemaic+mummy&images=true&page=1
Condition: This is a section of a larger cartonnage mummy cover. Hands, lower body, shoulders, and back of head all repaired from multiple pieces with some losses, overpainting, and areas of restoration along break lines. Surface wear commensurate with age and use as shown, nicks and chips to face, head, and lower periphery, with fading, staining, and discoloration on inside and outside, otherwise excellent. Light earthen deposits throughout, and great remains of pigmentation and gilding across exterior.
Provenance: ex-private Cypress, Texas, USA collection
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