A
death mask is a
wax or
plaster cast made of a person’s face following
death. Death masks may be mementos of the dead, or be used for creation of
portraits. It is sometimes possible to identify portraits that have been painted from death masks, because of the characteristic slight distortions of the features caused by the weight of the plaster during the making of the
mold. In other
cultures a death mask may be a clay or another artifact placed on the face of the deceased before burial rites. The best known of these are the masks used by ancient Egyptians as part of the mummification process, such as
Tutankhamun's mask.