Death Masks · was considered very important for the soul to be able to recognize the body so it can return to it. ... •Early masks were made from wood, in two pieces and connected

Death Masks

Death Masks•Ancient Egyptians believed that it is very important to preserve a body of the dead because the soul has to have a place to dwell after the death.

• Preservation of the dead body was done by mummification. It was considered very important for the soul to be able to recognize the body so it can return to it. For that reason, death masks were used.

Death Mask Materials• Death masks were made in the likeness of the deceased and from the different materials. • Early masks were made from wood, in two pieces and connected with pegs. • After that Egyptians used, so called, cartonnage, a material made from papyrus or linen and soaked in plaster and then moulded on a wooden mould. That was, of course, a cheap variant intended for lower class.

Royal Death Masks

Royal death masks were made from precious metals, first of all - gold or gold leaves on bronze.

One of the most famous funerary masks is the mask of the

Tutankhamun.

Your Task - A

Look carefully at the examples of Death Masks on the previous slide.

What patterns can you spot?

Are there any symbols use? What do they mean?

What colours have been used?

Are they symmetrical?

Egyptian SymbolsLook through the symbols here:

https://www.cleopatraegypttours.com/travel-guide/important-ancient-egyptian-symbols/

Lots of them are linked to burial, rebirth, the afterlife…

All things you could include in your death mask design.

Your Task – B

You are an Ancient Egyptian mask designer and have been asked to design the mask for the burial of the Pharaoh (it

could be a male of female). There is a printed outline for you to use, however you

might want to create your own.

Think carefully about:Patterns

Symbols and their meaning You could include hieroglyphics

ColoursSymmetry

Extra Task – Messy!If you are feeling creative, you could turn your design into

your own 3D death mask using papier-mâché.

We did this in Year 3 last year, and the results were brilliant!

Some ideas can be found below: https://www.yac-uk.org/activity/make-an-ancient-egyptian-

death-maskhttps://www.dltk-

kids.com/world/egypt/mpharaoh_masks.htm*Note – we did not use a plastic mask. We put papier-mâché on half of a balloon. Once dry, pop the balloon then trim the edges to make a dome. Then stick on a nose and eyebrows /

eyes using scrunched newspaper with smooth pieces over the top.