Death Mask of Tutankhamen

Death Mask of Tutankhamen from innermost coffin; Sculpture (gold with inlaid semi-precious stones). Egypt, 18th Dynasty. Site: Thebes, Tomb of Tutankhamen. Period Date: 1570-1314 BCE. Object Date: c. 1325 BCE. This mask of solid gold, beaten and burnished, was placed over the head and shoulders of Tutankhamun's mummy, outside the linen bandages in which the whole body was wrapped. It weighs about twenty - four pounds. Although it is difficult to judge how closely the face represents a true likeness of the king, it is at least an approximation. The rather narrow eyes, the shape of the nose, the fleshy lips, and the cast of the chin are all in agreement with the features visible in his mummy, and the whole countenance is unmistakably youthful. Perhaps it is slightly idealized, but essentially it seems to be a faithful portrait.