Ancient Egypt, Romano-Egyptian period, ca. 30 BCE to 300 CE. A sarcophagus mask of a woman's face, made from layers of plaster or stucco upon papyrus or linen, and painted with bold features in black and white. The dramatic eyes are outlined with stark black pupils to mimic kohl cosmetic eyeliner and her fashionable coiffure is arranged into incised rows and covered in applied black pigment, and traces of the original mask backing feature thin black stripes with areas of turquoise and pink-hued pigment on one side. A mask like this would have been placed over the face and fastened into the linen wrappings of a mummy. Death masks were created for the soul to recognize the body and return to it, and so masks were made in the relative likeness of the deceased. Such portrait masks are significant, because they demonstrate conclusively that Greco-Roman individuals represented in encaustic paintings also subscribed to traditional Egyptian beliefs about the afterlife. Size: 7.5" L x 6.25" W (19 cm x 15.9 cm); 9.75" H (24.8 cm) on included custom stand.

A shift towards more naturalistic features, as seen here, reflects the profound change that the Greco-Roman world brought to Egypt. Depictions of a deceased person's distinctive face, full head, or body replaced the stylized art of dynastic Egypt. Masks like this one would have served to honor the dead and, as such, were typically displayed next to a simple wooden coffin during funeral rites and then buried with the dead. Some scholars posit that Egyptians began to follow traditional Roman mortuary practices during the Romano-Egyptian period as well. In such traditions, these masks would be worn by a family member or actor during the funeral procession then displayed within an aristocratic household throughout the year and worn annually during Parentalia (a 9-day Roman festival in honor of family ancestors).

For a stylistically similar example with additional hair and bangs, please see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession number 00.2.16.

Provenance: ex-Barakat Gallery, Beverly Hills, California, USA; ex-private collection, acquired on the London Art Market in the 1980s; ex-Shlomo Moussaieff collection, London, England, acquired in 1969

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#175217

Repaired from multiple pieces, with some areas of restoration visible along hollow interior, and resurfacing and overpainting along break lines and new material. Losses to areas of cheeks, neckline, coiffure, and mask peripheries as shown. Fading to original pigmentation, with minor nicks to nose, forehead, coiffure, and peripheries, and light encrustations. Nice earthen deposits and great traces of original pigment throughout. Modern adhesive strips on verso for stabilization.