FUNERARY MASK Cedar wood and traces of black pigment. 31 x 22 cm. Egypt, Dynasty XXVI, 664-525 BC Magnificently crafted, this mask demonstrates the skills of ancient Egyptian woodworkers. Wood was a rare and precious material, originally reserved for kings and gods and then, around the first millennium BC, for the elite. The wood used here is cedar of Lebanon, the type most prized by the Egyptians. Old inventory number on the back: "E524". Comparandum : A funerary mask in cedar wood, Dynasty XXVI, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, inv. 1959.8.4. Provenance : Former Liechti collection, Switzerland, acquired in Paris in 1974. An Egyptian wooden mask, beautifully made, it shows the skill of ancient Egypt's wood craftsmen. Wood was a rare and precious material, originally reserved for kings and gods, and later, around the first millennium B.C.E, for the elite. The wood used here is Lebanon cedar, the type most prized by the Egyptians. Dynasty 26th, circa 664-525 B.C.