Gilded Mummy Mask of a Man

Culture: Egyptian

Period: Late Ptolemaic Period, 1st century B.C.

Material: Cartonnage

Dimensions: 25.3 cm high

Price: Reserved

Ref: 1587

Provenance: From the old German collection of L. Sachs, mid-20th century, with the collection number 80417/L.1183. Auctioned at Lempertz in the early 2000s. Acquired there by the German collection of Erika Krautkrämer (1932-2022). Thereafter, in the family collection.

Condition: Wonderfully preserved. A stable crack running through the gold leaf crossing the left side of the face.

Description: An exceptionally high-quality mummy mask of a man, featuring rich gold leaf decoration that symbolises the golden flesh of the gods, which, like the sun itself, promised immortality. The slender, elongated face features almond-shaped eyes framed by long black eyeliner strokes. The nose is large and well-formed, while the mouth, with its full lips, is shaped into a subtle smile. Particularly striking are the bold black bands running across the cheeks toward the chin, where they converge at a central red dot symbolising the divine beard. These bands represent the stylised straps of the ceremonial false beard, intended to confer divine dignity and royal authority upon the deceased in the afterlife. Above the forehead lies a sculpted band, at the centre of which a winged scarab gazes downward. The scarab is identified with the god Khepri, the embodiment of the rising sun and a symbol of rebirth. Around his neck, the man wears a red necklace with a central heart amulet. Beneath it, an elaborately designed five-row broad collar stands out in relief. Inside, an old collection label remains attached by a string. In addition, a collection number and collection name were handwritten in black paint on the interior of the mask during the mid-20th century. Mounted.