Mask of a woman with her hair in a small knot

Mask of a woman with her hair in a small knot

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The plaster masks derive from pharaonic traditions, in which the mask served as a substitute for the head of the deceased and as a means of elevating him or her to immortal status. The derivation is often reflected in paintings and texts located on the mantle surrounding the head. Like the painted mummy portraits, the masks suggest strongly individualized appearances and affect Roman fashions in hairstyle, jewelry, and dress. They follow, however, a somewhat different pattern. For example, female masks may have coiffures that combine Roman arrangements of the upper part of the hair with long corkscrew locks that were considered typically Egyptian. Despite the seeming individuality of the masks, most faces were made in a mold. Distinguishing details were worked in the plaster with a spatula or knife. The ears were added separately, and sometimes eyes were inlaid with glass or stone. The mask was then frequently painted or gilded. The style of the small bun on top of the head may date as early as a.d. 125-150. The eyes are inlaid with transparent glass, now degraded. Traces of loop earrings are visible.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Mask of a woman with her hair in a small knotMask of a woman with her hair in a small knotMask of a woman with her hair in a small knotMask of a woman with her hair in a small knotMask of a woman with her hair in a small knot

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.