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Unknown Maker, Egyptian

Mummy Mask of a Woman
Now On View

Maker

Unknown Maker, Egyptian

Culture

Egyptian

Title

Mummy Mask of a Woman

Period

Roman Period, 30 BCE-395 CE

Year

50-100 CE

Medium

  • Plaster and paint

Materials/Techniques

Techniques

  • Plaster and paint

Materials

plaster

Dimensions

23.5 x 18.4 x 10.3 cm (9 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 4 1/16 inches)

Credit / Object Number

Credit

Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke

Object Number

17.056

Type

  • Sculpture

Publications

  • Books

Beyond The Pharaohs: Egypt and The Copts In The 2nd To 7th Centuries A.D.

Alt Authors: Museum of Art, Rhode Island School of Design, Walters Art Gallery, Baltimore, MD.

  • Books

Classical Sculpture

Exhibition History

Ancient Egyptian Galleries
Jun 10, 2014

Label copy

Masks depicting the dead have been found in elite Egyptian burials dating as early as the First Intermediate period (2134-2040 BCE). A mask placed over a mummy's head both protected and identified the deceased.

The traditional use of burial masks continued when Egypt was controlled by the Greeks (332-30 BCE) and the Romans (30 BCE-395 CE). These masks incorporate Greco-Roman realistic portraiture into the older Egyptian practice of burial masks. The realism of these portraits allows archaeologists to date them by comparing the hairstyles and jewelry to known trends depicted in coin and sculptural portraits.

Beyond the Pharaohs
Egypt and the Copts in the 2nd to 7th Centuries A.D.
Feb 10, 1989 – Apr 16, 1989

Image use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use.

Public Domain This object is in the Public Domain and available under a CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication

Tombstone

Unknown Maker, Egyptian
Mummy Mask of a Woman, 50-100 CE
Plaster and paint
23.5 x 18.4 x 10.3 cm (9 1/4 x 7 1/4 x 4 1/16 inches)
Gift of Mrs. Gustav Radeke 17.056

To request new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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