Ptolemaic / Romano Egyptian Plaster Mummy Mask ex-Komor

Egypt, Ptolemaic to Romano Egyptian, ca. 3rd century BCE to 1st century CE. A plaster (ground gypsum) mummy mask depicting a female visage of a remarkably human yet theatrical countenance in a style similar to Fayum painted portraiture, her features naturalistic yet imbued with heightened drama. Note her boldly lined and lashed large stone inlaid eyes gazing steadfastly ahead, framed by arched, neatly manicured brows that lead to a straight nose, and gently smiling pink lips above a dimpled chin, all crowned by a centrally-parted coiffure pulled back to a bun - every strand meticulously delineated. A rose colored veil or collar to her garment wraps around her head, just below her bun and falls past her neck which is further adorned by a 'beaded' necklace with a decorated ruffle below, and her ears are graced by golden hoop earrings. Size: 7.25" L x 6" W x 13.875" H (18.4 cm x 15.2 cm x 35.2 cm); 14.875" H (37.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Plaster masks were quite popular in Egypt, and while they evolved from Egyptian traditions reflecting the adaptation and continuation of iconographic and stylistic characteristics of Egyptian funerary art, masks like this example also reveal the Roman penchant for individualized and naturalistic portraiture. Heads like this one reflect the profound change that the Greco-Roman world brought to Egypt. The naturalistic depiction of a person's face as a mask or even full head replaced the stylized art of dynastic Egypt; hieroglyphs and other symbols painted on elaborate sarcophagi fell out of favor, and this head would have been a memorial alongside a simple wooden coffin. These heads were reserved for the elite, who were buried in small chapels, usually mummified and with other members of their family and/or town.

Provenance: The Estate of the Late Parker B. Poe, Bequeathed to the Thomasville Center for the Arts, Thomasville, Georgia and sold to benefit their arts funds. Ex-Mathias Komor, New York, USA (1909-1984), an active dealer between 1935 and 1978.

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#153353
Condition Report: Losses to peripheries as shown. A few repairs to chest/collar/veil/face with some visible break lines. Expected surface wear with areas of pigment loss and a few possible areas of stabilization. Still, a remarkable example.