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Welcome to the most popular page on the Art-Rageous website! I'm an art teacher at a private school in Virginia, and this was one of the first projects I posted when the site was launched in 1999. Below you will find detailed, step-by-step instructions on how to create a mummy mask for art, school or decorative projects related to ancient Egypt.
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Teacher: Sharon Barrett Kennedy
Grade Level:Elementary (with assistance) through High School
Materials:
Plaster gauze, cut into strips of varying lengths and widths
Posterboard
Scissors
Pencil
Bowl, water
Paper towels
Vaseline or *Plastic Wrap*
Newspaper
Acrylic paint, brushes
Face lotion (optional)
Introduction:
Look at pictures of Egyptian mummy masks and notice how the Egyptians created stylized portraits of the faces. Notice the color schemes and patterns used.
Procedure:
1. Prepare plaster gauze strips and water in an area covered by newspaper.
2. Using posterboard, create the "outline" of a mummy mask and cut out an oval for the student's face to stick through.
3. Have student liberally coat face with Vaseline OR cover face with pieces of plastic wrap. (See note below)
4. Position student comfortably on the floor or and place a wet (damp) paper towel over face (if using Vaseline), making a small opening for the nostrils. Smooth the paper towel down as much as possible in order to follow the form of the face. Student must be able to stay completely still in order for the mask to set well and for the facial features to be accurate.
5. Place posterboard "headdress" over face. The opening should allow for the chin and top of the head to come forward, but should not be so wide that the ears are exposed.
6. Once this is in place, begin applying plaster gauze strips.
7. Wet strips in water, use fingers to remove excess moisture, and apply to side of face and onto posterboard border to about 2" from face.
8. Continue to apply strips of appropriate sizes until entire face is covered with two layers of gauze strips. Go far enough onto the posterboard to "lock" face into the "headdress" form.
9. Use tiny strips of gauze on area between nostrils. Be sure to smooth gauze as much as possible to avoid a rough textured surface.
10. Once two layers of strips have been applied to face and the posterboard next to the face, allow the cast to harden for approximately 15 minutes. Do not leave student alone during this time, and encourage him or her to relax and stay still.
11. When mask has hardened (it will be warm to the touch), carefully remove by lifting off from the top of the head and then down to the chin. If desired, carefully remove paper towel from inside of mask.
12. After student has removed the Vaseline (or plastic wrap) from his or her face, have him or her use plaster gauze strips to cover the nose on the mask and work to the outer edges of the "headdress." Wrap about 1/2" of gauze onto the back of the posterboard to ensure that it is locked into place.
13. When mask is completely dry (the next day), have student paint the entire mask with gold acrylic paint. After that has dried, have them paint in the eyes and add other details and decorations to produce an Egyptian-style mummy mask.
This project took about three days for most of my students, one day for the casting and two days for the painting. Older students may take longer if they choose to add more details to their masks.
Notes:
*Since first doing this project, I've discovered that plastic wrap can be used on a student's face instead of Vaseline. This is a good option for anyone who is concerned about using petroleum products on a student, and it's far less messy and speeds up the casting process due to less prep and clean up time! We do a lot of different types of masks and plastic wrap is the way to go!
~ More Art-Rageous Egyptian & Mask-Making Ideas! ~
More Egyptian Art Projects and Lesson Plans for Children!
Egyptian Art Projects for Spectrum Summer Camp 2001
Egyptian Art Resources
Self-Expressive Plaster Gauze Mask Project!
Papier-Mache' Masks
RESOURCES
~ Books, Posters, Videos, Music & More! ~
~ RECOMMENDED EGYPTIAN LINKS ~
Neferchichi's Tomb
Guardian's Egypt