Death Masks in Edgar Lee Masters' Home

Death Masks
According to the 1988 Encyclopedia America International, a death mask is an exact replica of the face of a dead person, cast in plaster, wax, or metal from a mold taken from the corpse. They were used throughout the ancient world. They provided an important part in funerary beliefs and practices. They covered the face of the corpse to protect the body from evil spirits while it is laid to rest . Later the mask was placed in the atrium of the family's house, where it was crowned with laure on feast days. The mask reminds the family members of what the deceased looked like and reminds them of their life with them. The mask would then be carried in the funeral processions of this descendent. The picture of the mask above is of the poet's father, Hardin W. Masters.