Stone Funerary Mask, 500 CE - 1000 CE
Stone
8.5
PF.4367
Further images
This elegant mask is so refined and peaceful it has the effect of silencing the world. When viewing its gentle expression a question arises - can this be a precious...
This elegant mask is so refined and peaceful it has the effect of silencing the world. When viewing its gentle expression a question arises - can this be a precious moment captured in the nebulous realm between sleep and the afterlife? Everything about this work holds within its own space a feeling of calm and peace, as if death is not a finality but a brief pause before awakening. It combines extraordinary strength in the thickness and weight of the stone. The soft gray color is tranquil, while the bands of white sweep along the forehead and across the eyes. The eyes are closed, or perhaps just about to open with a trembling sense of awe of what it will see. The mask may have been worn in ceremonies. Its dreamy expression and partly open mouth seems to say there is beauty and peace in the human soul- truly a gift for everyone on their own journey.