Plaster mask of Saint Alfonso de Juquara Mato, Europe, 1860-1920

Made:
1860-1920 in Italy
Plaster mask of St Alfonso de Jaquara Mato Plaster mask of St Alfonso de Jaquara Mato

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Creative Commons LicenseThis image is released under a CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 Licence

Buy this image as a print 

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License this image for commercial use at Science and Society Picture Library

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Plaster mask of St Alfonso de Jaquara Mato
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Plaster mask of St Alfonso de Jaquara Mato
Science Museum Group Collection
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Plaster mask of St. Alfonso de Juquara Mato, a cast possibly of his death mask(?), Italian(?), 1860-1920

St Alfonso de Juquara Mato was a Spanish bishop during the 600s. This is said to be a plaster cast of his original death mask. Death masks were created by covering the deceased person’s face with a substance such as plaster. Once hardened, this plaster cast was removed to provide the template to make the mask.

Death masks and life masks, made from a living subject, have been made in cultures worldwide throughout history. They were often made to honour important and influential people, and were popular in the 1900s.

Details

Category:
Classical & Medieval Medicine
Collection:
Sir Henry Wellcome's Museum Collection
Object Number:
A884
Materials:
plaster
type:
death mask
credit:
Pichi, L.