Tag Archives: Death mask

Death Masks Created by 3D Printer Symbolize Journey From Life to Death

The new-age death masks are exquisitely colored and pay homage to the ancient practice

Death masks have a long history, dating back thousands of years. In the absence of photography, they were an excellent way for the still-living to remember and commemorate their loved ones who had died. And now, Neri Oxman and her … Continue reading

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Man Ray & Modigliani’s Death Mask

How Man Ray's "Death Mask" becomes not only an homage to a man's life but also to the interconnected nature of creation and death

Man Ray (1890-1976) was the South Philadelphia-born artist who, after making a break for Europe, became one of the fathers of Dadaism in Paris’s creative hub. Meanwhile, the Italian Amedeo Clemente Modigliani (1884-1920) added to his oeuvre of modern paintings … Continue reading

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Behind Death Masks: A History of How a Funeral Decoration Transformed Into a Tool to Improve Lives

The ancient funerary art of death masks allows us to look through the eyes of our ancestors

The practice of creating death masks to remember those who have passed is a ritual that can be traced back to ancient Egypt and Rome. The most recognizable death mask comes from the tomb of Tutankhamun himself. The likeness of … Continue reading

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Richard Carter’s Post-Mortem Cast “Troy Simon Burdine II”

The History of Death Masks

Troy Simon Burdine II was a casualty of the AIDS epidemic, so rife in the Bay Area during the nineties. Moribund after years of fighting the virus, he petitioned his friend Richard Carter to cast his full body after death. … Continue reading

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