This gorgeous plaster funerary mask reveals that
the traditional Egyptian arts continued to flourish
even under Roman rule. In fact, the Egyptian
style was reinvigorated with a healthy dose of
Roman classicism that elegantly merged with the
stylized traditions of Egypt. This mask depicts a
young man with full, fleshy cheeks, painted eyes
and eyebrows, and small lips. However, the most
outstanding feature of this work is the winged
scarab beetle painted on top of the head, long a
symbol of rebirth and resurrection in Egyptian
art. Most of these life-size masks were made for
Greek and Roman settlers in Egypt. They show
some attempts at portraying an individual, but
with conventionalized features. These heads were
made separately in molds, with gender-specific
details added subsequently, and attached to the
mummy case or cartonnage so that they are half
raised up off the surface, as if the deceased was
just awaking in his new afterlife. Typically the
eyes were left open, to be filled at the patron's
discretion with such substances as painted
stucco plugs, colored glass, or stone. The masks
were usually painted with realistic colors and
some were gilded. Looking into this mask is like
looking into a mirror. It is easy to see ourselves
inside this carefully modeled face. We wonder if
his life, if his cares and concerns, were really that
different than our own?
- (X.0036)
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