The Egyptian Museum, Cairo, Egypt - Mummy Mask of Thuya

MUMMY MASK OF THUYA

Mummy Mask of Thuya

Identity: Thuya, Mother of Queen Tiye
Material: Glass, Semi-precious stones
Period: New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty
Reign: Amenhotep III

Dimensions:


Height: 40 cm
Width: 28 cm

Thuya's mask, as all other funerary masks, was considered an indispensable element for the protection of the deceased's head and its parts are identified with the principle deities of Egypt. It is made of gilded plaster and was sealed within a series of wooden coffins. It was found broken, but in 1982 it was restored, and a part of the glued linen gauze was removed from the mask revealing the marvelous face with its exquisite smile, enlivened by inlaid blue glass and quartz eyes. A broad collar of several rows of inlaid polychrome glass and gilded flower designs covers her breast.

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