EGYPTIAN GILT WOODEN MASK WITH INLAID EYES

26th Dynasty, Ca. 664 - 525 BC. A wooden sarcophagus mask. It is carved from cedar and covered with gilt gesso. The idealised facial features include a long, thin nose, pursed lips, wide bronze and stone-inlaid almond-shaped eyes, and a brown headdress. The facial expression conveys extreme serenity. Reviewed by Simone Musso, consultant curator for Egyptian antiquities at the Stibbert Museum, Florence, Italy, member of the Nuri Archaeological Expedition. Size: 235mm x 130mm; Weight: 280g Provenance: Property of a London gallery acquired on the US art market pre 2000.

Estimate: GBP 450 - 900