Ancient Egyptian Coffin and Cartonnage Masks

Thousands of years ago, the Egyptians hoped to achieve eternal life through identification with the funerary god Osiris.  They believed that the deceased would attain immortality if the body was preserved for resurrection and if proper funerary rites were observed.  The mummy masks and the anthropoids sarcophagus emulated the divine Osiris, and aided the deceased in the perilous journey to the next world where it was believed that resurrection would magically occur.

The embalmed bodies of the dead were wrapped for protection before they were deposited in coffins, called sarcophagi, which were usually made of wood.  This wrapping, made of layers of linen or papyrus stiffened with gesso (plaster) and then painted with bright multi-colored decoration that carried symbolic significance is called cartonnage.  It was most commonly used for mummy masks, mummy cases, anthropoid coffins and other funerary items.

These two pieces, the covering for the head and torso, were the most significant elements of the cartonnage, as they protected the most vital areas of the body of the deceased.  At the top of the breastplate is a winged Sun disc with “Uraeus” serpents appended at each side.  Below it is the representation of the deceased, pictured as he or she lays mummified within his or her cartonnage.

At the bottom, and dominating the decorative scheme, is a large standing winged goddess, with a Sun disk on her head.  The features on the head covering are idealized according to the conventions of Egyptian style.  Its smiling face has the character of a mask, with its smooth transitions between the facial planes and the absence of naturalistic details.  The eyes are given special emphasis and are rendered as large, full almond shapes clearly outlined.  Above them, are heavily painted brows that lay in drawing attention to the eyes below.

Once the mummy was entombed within the wooden sarcophagus, a life size image of the deceased – a “Kah” – was placed over the face.  The “Ka” or “Kah” masks were made of cedar wood from Lebanon, as wood was scarce in ancient Egypt.  Wooden mummy masks were unusually constructed of small pieces joined together and pegged into place on the front of the sarcophagus.   The mask and the sarcophagus were then covered with plaster and religious motifs to help the deceased in his or her voyage.