Скачать или смотреть 5 Famous Death Masks In History

Death masks first gained notoriety in Egypt, with the most recognizable belonging to King Tut. The Egyptians believed that the death mask, which would be buried with the individual, would allow the person's spirit to find their body in the afterlife, while in some African tribes, it was believed that death masks could imbue the wearer with the power of the deceased.

But in the Middle Ages, they became less of a spiritual commodity and more of a way of preserving the memory of the dead. Death masks were made for a range of famous and notable people and were put on display for many to see. And in a time before photography, this could be as close to the real thing as you might get.