Man's Mummy Mask Man's Mummy Mask

Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
Washington, DC, United States

Egyptians believed immortality was possible only if the deceased’s ba, or spirit, recognized the mummy in the tomb. Even if the actual head were lost or damaged, a mask guaranteed the reunion could still take place.

This mask presents an idealized Egyptian whose features the gods would know.

Details

Title: Man's Mummy Mask Man's Mummy Mask
Location: Not Given, Egypt (not certain), Africa (not certain)
Physical Dimensions: 29 cm x 22 cm
Type: Mask
Rights: This image was obtained from the Smithsonian Institution. The image or its contents may be protected by international copyright laws. http://www.si.edu/termsofuse
External Link: View this object record in the Smithsonian Institution Collections Search Center
USNM Catalog Number(s): A553190-0, A553190-0
Photo Credit: Eric Long, Smithsonian Institution National Museum of Natural History & Smithsonian Institution Archives
Historic Period: 200 - 30 B.C., Ptolemaic Period
Field: Archaeology
Accession Date: 1992-08-28

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