Death mask
Masks of dead people are a tradition in many countries. The most important process of the funeral ceremony in ancient Egypt was the mummification of the body. After prayers and consecration, the body was put into a sarcophagus decorated with gold and gems. A special part of the rite was a sculpted mask, put on the face of the dead person. This mask strengthened the spirit of the mummy and guarded the soul from evil spirits on its way to the afterworld. The best known mask is that of Tutankhamun. Made of gold and gems, the mask shows the highly stylized features of the ancient ruler. Such masks were not, however, made from casts of the features. The mummification process itself kept the features of the dead person.