Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, Dynasties 21 to 25, ca. 1070 to 712 BCE. A hand-carved wooden mummy mask that likely once had copper and stone eyes attached to it and would have been covered with gesso and painted. The mask is skillfully carved from a piece of cedar wood, delineated with a broad face, a narrow aquiline nose, closed, full lips, finely modeled cheeks and facial planes, and a delicate chin emerging from the neck. Size: 5.3" W x 6.5" H (13.5 cm x 16.5 cm)
The mask was an essential part of the mummy, placed over the head to provide an idealized image of the deceased as they would be resurrected. This mask and others like it were traditionally carved from cedar. Interestingly, cedar wood was not native to Egypt. Egypt did not have verdant forests filled with tall trees, and unfortunately most of its native lumber was of relatively poor quality. So they relied on importing to acquire hardwoods - ebony imported from Africa, cedar and pine from Lebanon. One fabulous obelisk inscription by Thutmose III attests to the luxury of treasured hardwoods. It reads as follows, "They brought to me the choicest products . . . consisting of cedar, juniper and of meru wood . . . all the good sweet woods of God's Land." (Obelisk inscription by Thutmose III - J. H. Breasted, Ancient Records of Egypt, Part Two, p. 321)
Provenance: private Hawaii, USA collection
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#138265
Condition
Mask is missing part of one side as shown and part of ear on other side. Back has some moldy growths on it and small areas of water damage. Scoring on surface as shown.