The History of Death Masks- Using Memorial Casting Today

As the 20th century rolled in, the practice of death masks was still in effect. Shortly after someone died, a plaster impression was made of their face. This would assure their loved ones that the person’s image could achieve almost an immortal status. The use of masks can be traced back to the Egyptian Pharaoh, Tutankhamun. The President James A. Garfield Death Mask (2020) pointed out that many famous people we revere, such as Lincoln, Newton, Washington, Napoleon, and even Shakespeare, had death masks.

In the late nineteenth century, ‌Neumeyer, J (2015) said that Europe and Russia used death masks and other rituals to honor the dead. They would also create deathbed portraits, postcards, wreaths, and attend funerals, as well as gather memorabilia.

Death masks typically didn’t go into the grave but were kept around and often displayed at funerals and in family members’ homes. Although the practice of creating death masks has greatly diminished, Gorvett (2024) noted that there are a few artists today who continue to do so.

With death masks being a significant part of mourning in the past, they can still hold a place today in the modern home.

The 2019 Encyclopedia Britannica article on Death Masks states that a modern practice is to create a life mask, which is a mold made while a person is still alive.

Today, death masks have taken on a softer name, often referred to as face casting, memorial casting, or life casting. Also, casts can be made of hands and feet as a more gentle memorial of a loved one.

As you decide the way to remember and celebrate the life of those you love, or how you want to be honored, memorial castings might be a beautiful option for you.

Here are a few artists:

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Castings – Rochelle Wise Studio

3D Love Memories – 3D hand and feet casting for babies and families

Gallery (lifecasting.org)

REFERENCES:

Death mask. (2019). In Encyclopedia Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/death-mask

Gorvett, Z. (2024, February 11). The lost art of the death mask. Www.bbc.com. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20240209-the-lost-art-of-the-death-mask

‌‌ Neumeyer, J (2015) ‘The Final Struggle’: The Art of the Soviet Death Mask. UC Berkeley. qt6gc654pr.pdf

The Cultural Significance of Death Masks. (n.d.). Www.myfarewelling.com. https://www.myfarewelling.com/article/the-cultural-significance-of-death-masks

The President James A. Garfield Death Mask (U.S. National Park Service 2020). Nps.gov. https://www.nps.gov/articles/000/the-president-james-a-garfield-death-mask.htm

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