About this artwork
A funerary mask protected the head and chest of a mummified individual. Rather than presenting a portrait, a mask like this shows the deceased with idealized facial features and the golden skin of a god. At the bottom, kites (birds of prey) with outstretched wings flank divine figures including the ruler of the underworld, Osiris, who sits on a throne in the center. The kites represent Isis and Nephthys, who mourned the death of their brother Osiris. By extension, these goddesses acted as mourners for everyone transitioning from the world of the living to the realm of the reborn dead.
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Status
- On View, Gallery 137
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Department
- Arts of Africa
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Culture
- Ancient Egyptian
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Title
- Funerary Mask
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Place
- Egypt (Object made in:)
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Date
- 100 BCE–1 BCE
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Medium
- Cartonnage, gold leaf, and pigment
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Dimensions
- 44.5 × 30.5 × 29.8 cm (17 1/2 × 12 × 11 3/4 in.)
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Credit Line
- W. Moses Willner Fund
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Reference Number
- 1910.220
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IIIF Manifest
- https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/136740/manifest.json
Extended information about this artwork
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.