Roman female pantomime mask
Item
Title
Roman female pantomime mask
Rights
Image Copyright: University of Canterbury
Type
theatrical masks (masks (costume), <costume by function>, ... Furnishings and Equipment (hierarchy name))
Creator
Ministry of Culture Archaeological Receipts Fund - Casting and Copying Workshop
Date
1988-1989, replica of original from 3rd century CE
Description
This is a plaster cast copy of an original artefact now held in the collection of the Ancient Agora Museum in Athens. It is a pantomime mask, indicated by its eyeholes and the lack of mouth hole. A mouth wasn't required because these characters did not have lines. The original artefact was found on the site of the ancient Agora, or marketplace, in Athens, and dates to around the first half of the 3rd century CE.
The character on this mask is female, identified by her long, wavy braided hair and soft features. She has a large, pointed nose, small, pursed lips, large oval-shaped eyes, and soft furrowed eyebrows. She wears a headdress, which features cracks copied from the original artefact.
This mask has leather fastenings attached to the sides of the face and has an extra hole at the top of her head for upper fastenings. The reverse of the mask is very smooth, indicating that it was potentially made using a double-mould system. The mask is a deep purple/brown colour highlighted by a bright white wash of paint which accentuates the textures created in the plaster.
The character on this mask is female, identified by her long, wavy braided hair and soft features. She has a large, pointed nose, small, pursed lips, large oval-shaped eyes, and soft furrowed eyebrows. She wears a headdress, which features cracks copied from the original artefact.
This mask has leather fastenings attached to the sides of the face and has an extra hole at the top of her head for upper fastenings. The reverse of the mask is very smooth, indicating that it was potentially made using a double-mould system. The mask is a deep purple/brown colour highlighted by a bright white wash of paint which accentuates the textures created in the plaster.
Format
Plaster
Extent
215mm (top of head to bottom of chin)
175mm (left edge of hair to right edge of hair)
75 mm (edge of reverse to tip of the nose)
175mm (left edge of hair to right edge of hair)
75 mm (edge of reverse to tip of the nose)
Rights Holder
University of Canterbury
Owner
University of Canterbury
Collection
James Logie Memorial Collection - Cast Collection
