The History of the Death Mask
Death has always been shrouded in a veil of mystery, fear, curiosity and peace. Humanity has always honoured death in many ways. One of the most interesting was the making of death masks. Death masks and death share a common history. Regardless of the time and place of death, someone undoubtedly did something to preserve the memory of the person depicted. The history of death masks is very long and varies greatly from country to country. But masks always have one thing in common: they are a cast of the face intended in some way to honour the deceased.
Antiquity
In antiquity, death masks were a tradition in many cultures, such as Egypt, Greece, Rome and China. In ancient Egypt, death masks were part of a funeral ritual meant to ensure the safe passage of the soul into the afterlife. Priests placed them in the tomb together with the ruler to preserve his likeness. In ancient Rome, masks not only had a different meaning, but the production process was also different. While the Egyptians cast masks on the bodies of the dead, in Rome a person had their mask made while still alive. (Life mask) Artists made death masks of wax, clay, metal, fabric or gold. The best-known death mask from Egypt is the mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, discovered in 1923. The mask consists of two layers of gold and is decorated with semi-precious stones and glass inlays. It has a striking blue and gold colour and symbolises divinity and royal power.
In ancient Greece and Rome, death masks were made of wax or plaster and used to create portraits of the deceased, as they were believed to preserve the likeness of the soul. Death masks were also displayed in homes or temples in memory of ancestors. Some death masks were even used at public funerals, where they were worn by relatives of the deceased. Death masks were made mainly of important figures such as philosophers, politicians, poets or military leaders. Among the most famous death masks of antiquity are those of Plato, Aristotle, Alexander the Great, Caesar, Cicero and Marcus Aurelius.
The gold funerary mask of Pharaoh Tutankhamun, decorated with lapis lazuli (ultramarine) and coloured glass, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty (c. 1323 BC), Egyptian Museum in Cairo. Height 53.3 cm.
Metal death mask with movable ears from the Pyramid of the Moon, Peru, 3rd–8th century
The Mask of Agamemnon: one of five gold masks discovered in 1876 at Mycenae, Greece.
The Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, death masks were used to identify and venerate saints and kings. Death masks were made of wax, metal, plaster or clay and were often added to relics or sarcophagi. They were also used to create religious images and sometimes even stained glass. Among the best-known death masks of the Middle Ages are those of St Francis of Assisi, St Clare, Charlemagne, Dante Alighieri, Joan of Arc and Jan Hus.
Portrait of Michelangelo Buonarroti by Daniele da Volterra based on Michelangelo’s death mask. 1565, Florence, Italy
Death mask of Dante Alighieri. It was long assumed that Dante’s death mask was taken directly from his face after his death in 1321. In fact, it is only a plaster copy of the original, which was probably made of wax.
Death mask of William Shakespeare, known as the Kesselstadt death mask, made of plaster of Paris in 1616, the day after his death.
Source: Internet
The Early Modern Period
In the early modern period, death masks became popular among artists, scientists and public figures who wanted to immortalise their features or inspire others. They were used as a permanent record of the features of the deceased, fulfilling the function that photography later took over. Death masks were made of wax, plaster, bronze or other materials and were often used to create busts, medallions, coins or seals. They were also collected as curiosities or souvenirs. Among the most famous death masks of the period are those of Galileo, Newton, Voltaire, Beethoven, Napoleon, Goethe, Mozart, Shakespeare…
The most fascinating and most prized of the death masks is L’Inconnue de la Seine, which shows the face of an unknown young woman pulled from the River Seine in Paris. According to legend, the pathologist at the morgue was so captivated by her beauty that he had a wax model of her face made. This model was then reproduced and became a fashionable accessory in bohemian society. Many artists, writers and philosophers were inspired by her enigmatic smile, reminiscent of the Mona Lisa. Her identity, however, has remained a mystery forever.
The drowned Mona Lisa of the Seine
Death mask ofJohann Wolfgang von Goethe.
Bronze death mask of Napoleon Bonaparte
Source: Internet
The Modern Era
Because masks made of certain materials have survived very well to the present day, it has been possible to determine roughly what a person looked like during their life. Portraits and sculptures were commissioned on the basis of them, often of incalculable value. Many death masks are kept in museums, historical collections or private archives, offering insights into the physical appearance of important figures from the past.
Death masks were also made of famous figures from Slovak history, such as Andrej Hlinka, the priest and politician born in Černová. His death mask was made by sculptor Fraňo Štefunko from Martin, who gave it to Karol Sidor, who later presented it to Ján Čarnogurský. He donated it to the town of Ružomberok, where the original is kept in the Hlinka Museum in his birthplace. A copy of the death mask is also held in the Liptov Museum in Ružomberok
Death mask – Nikola Tesla
Death mask of Andrej Hlinka
Bronze death mask of Joseph V. Stalin
Source: Internet
Historical significance
These masks often carry historical significance and contribute to our understanding of cultural practices, works of art and depictions of individuals in different periods of history. The use of death masks has changed and evolved over time, from serving religious and spiritual purposes to their transformation into valuable artefacts for historical, artistic and anthropological study. Today they are highly prized collector’s items, offering a unique view of the appearance of individuals long after their death and adding to our knowledge of history and culture.
