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Titus Flavius Demetrius was a Roman citizen living in Egypt who wanted to be buried in the Egyptian way.This gold covered mummy mask was made for the Roman citizen Titus Flavius Demetrius who died in Egypt between AD 80-120. It is purely Egyptian in fashion and shows that Titus wanted to embrace the traditions of a culture that was already thousands of years old before the Romans occupied the country.

The mask was a substitute for the head of the deceased, giving the dead person the powers of gods and thus helping them with their journey to the afterlife. This mask shows Osiris on his throne, with Isis and Nephtys acting as mourners. Anubis can be seen attending to the mummy of Titus.

This mask was excavated at Hawara in Egypt in 1888 by the famous archaeologist Flinders Petrie. It shows that even 2000 years ago people were fascinated by Ancient Egypt and wanted to be part of it. Today popular culture is still influenced by Egyptian art and design and it is an enduring favourite with Hollywood and even computer game manufacturers!

Titus Flavius Demetrius was a Roman citizen living in Egypt who wanted to be buried in the Egyptian way.