Death Mask

Death Mask

In the western area of the world, a death mask is a plaster or wax mold made of a persons face when they have died. These molds are keep as mementos of the dead and can be used for the drawing of portraits, long after that person has been buried. Due to the slight distortions made by the weight of the plaster on the features of the face, it is possible to tell if a portrait was created from a death mask. Other cultures, like the Egyptians, use clay or other artifact, which is placed over the face of the dead person before burial rites.

Some European countries used death masks as part of an effigy of the deceased, which would be displayed at the funerals; this was during the 17^th century. The 18^th and 19^th century saw the use of the death mask as a permanent record, recording features of unknown corpses as a method of identification; This was later replaced with the invention of photography.

The 18^th century saw a high increase in the production of death masks for the scientific community. They were used to study and record variations in human physiognomy. Anthropologists used these to study physiognomy features in famous people, and notorious criminals.