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The British Museum
Course: The British Museum > Unit 1
Lesson 2: Ancient Egypt- Ancient Egypt
- The tomb-chapel of Nebamun
- Paintings from the Tomb-chapel of Nebamun
- A bottle and a toy: Objects from daily life
- Hunefer, Book of the Dead
- The Rosetta Stone
- History uncovered in conserving the Rosetta Stone
- Egyptian mummy portraits
- Ancient Egyptian coffin prepared for the Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum
- Ancient Egyptian coffin mask conserved for the Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum
- An ancient Egyptian scribal palette in the Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum
- Ancient Egyptian baboon deity conserved for the Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum
- Ancient Egyptian papyrus in the Book of the Dead Exhibition
- Ancient Egyptian coffin panel prepared for the Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum
- Gebelein Man: virtual autopsy, exploring a natural mummy from early Egypt
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Ancient Egyptian coffin mask conserved for the Book of the Dead exhibition at the British Museum
Conservators at the British Museum preparing an ancient Egyptian coffin mask for display in the exhibition Journey through the afterlife: ancient Egyptian Book of the Dead.
© Trustees of the British Museum. Created by British Museum.
© Trustees of the British Museum. Created by British Museum.
Want to join the conversation?
Besides looking professional, why does she have to wear gloves?
It's not like she is touching the dead Egyptian's face!(5 votes)
Oils/sweat from the hands would ruin the ancient wood.(11 votes)
The one thing I can never wrap my head around is how wood can last for two thousand years and not rot, mold, or just fall apart. Any thoughts?(4 votes)
I don't believe wood rots on it's own, it may have rot from a variety of fungus, dry rot, brown rot. May be attacked by wood worm which is beetle larvae, and lastly wet rot. If wood is not exposed to any of these issues then I understand it will last for many thousands of years.(7 votes)
What would the mask have looked like originally? Would there have been painting and gems/stones for the eyes or would it look like it does today?(2 votes)
Video transcript
preparations for the British Museum's next major exhibition are well underway indeed this Egyptian head of nesba neb dead has come for a quick facial in the organics conservation lab the head is part of a wooden coffin which is two and a half thousand years old Ellen the conservator is being as careful as possible to remove the dirt from his face she is using a conservation grade sponge and a finely tuned rolling action to take off that unsightly dirt you you