Types of masks in ancient Egypt
The masks were made by pouring plaster into moulds. After the plaster dries, it was painted in different colours, so charcoal was used to colour the hair black, and gold was used for jewellery such as earrings, necklaces and headbands, and there are many examples in which the mask is completely gilded; usually, these masks imitate the hairdressing techniques of royal tiles.
The closest word to the word mask is “free” in the ancient Egyptian language, and men’s masks were used to provide a beard, while women’s masks were supplied with some decorative materials.
Plaster masks
Its manufacture began with the alternative head idea that matches the features of its owner, a type that first appeared in the era of King Khufu and was placed in the burial chamber, and after it was formed from limestone, it was left without paint, after adding some accessories such as the ears.
The function of the mask is mainly related to the idea of ​​the ka (the qirin) and the ba (the soul). In other words, the mask was linked to resurrection and immortality, where the soul recognized its owner’s body by investigating its unique features, and priests wore some masks during the mummification process, such as the mask of Anubis. Masks were also used during celebrations and sacred rituals.
Cartonnage masks
Cartonnage is a term used in Egyptology and papyrus to express layers of plaster applied to surfaces of linen or papyrus, and they are used in a wet manner to fit the surface and terrain of the deceased’s figure. It was also used to make masks and covers that cover all or part of the mummy.
Examples of these masks are
Yuya Mask
A cartoon mask of Liuya, Queen Tiye, wife of King Amenhotep the Third and mother of King Akhenaten of the Eighteenth Dynasty. The eyes of the mask are inlaid with white marble. The necklace is engraved with plaster sculpture, and the mask is found in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
It is made of coloured cardboard and inlays, and the attractive smile of Mrs Toya distinguished the mask. Eyes, eyelids, eyebrows and a wide chest were inlaid with stones and coloured glass.
wooden masks
Examples of them were found in the Middle Kingdom, and the mask of King Hor in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo comes on top of this type of mask and dates back to the 13th Dynasty.
Metal masks
The manufacture of metal masks in the modern state era represents a more advanced stage than the previous stages and its most important examples.
Tutankhamun mask
Made of hammered gold, the hood is decorated on the back with blue ribbons of lapis lazuli, and the weight of the mask is about 12 kg. It is made of pure gold and is represented on the back of the mask, Chapter 151 of the Book of the Dead. The mask is located in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
Mask of King Psusnes the First
King Susunis the First appears on the golden mask, wearing a royal headdress topped with a uraeus and a braided false beard. The mask consists of two pieces of forged gold, which are strengthened and joined together by five nails visible from the back. The king wears the royal headdress known as the Nemes, which was usually of linen, and topped with a sacred uraeus to protect the king from his opponents and enemies during his life and after his death.
The king wears a braided false beard as a symbol of his nobility. He also wears a large necklace, called the dirtiest, engraved with floral motifs. Glass pastes were used in grafting the eyelids, eyebrows, and the band that fixes the beard. The eyes are of black and white stone, and the mask is found in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo.
The mask of the king, Amn-Um-Abit
This mask was part of the coffin made of gilded wood for the king. The mask consists of sheets of gold formed according to the features of the king. The king’s round face is surmounted by the sacred cobra installed on the forehead.
The long, twisted body of the cobra descends from the headdress, the mask is made of gold and inlaid with red and turquoise-blue stones, and the height of the mask is 56 cm.
Clay masks
A copy of the deceased’s face was obtained with clay and then burned to obtain fixed features.
Fayoum Portraits
Fayum portraits show the upper part of the deceased, such as the head, neck, shoulders, chest, and sometimes the hands. They differ from the plaster masks that only show the head and neck.
Funeral mask
It appeared since the beginning of the dynastic era or perhaps before that. The oldest scene representing the masks is a view on the red pom kum representing a human being wearing a mask. For example, the mask functions were multiple, placing an identical and clear copy of the deceased’s face almost bearing his personal features that help the soul identify the owner A body wrapped in linen, exorcising evil spirits.