Napoleon Bonaparte Death Mask - The British Museum, London, UK
N 51° 31.129 W 000° 07.575
30U E 699373 N 5711437
This Napoleon Bonarparte death mask is on display in the British Museum in London. The museum is free to enter and is open from 1000-1700hrs, seven days a week. Non-flash photography is allowed.
Waymark Code: WME896
Location: London, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 04/17/2012
Views: 3
The exhibit card reads as follows:
"Plaster cast: death mask of
Napoleon Bonarparte (1769 - 1821)
After a mould taken by his doctor,
C. Francisco Antommarchi (1780-
1838), two days after his death."
The British Museum website gives more information about the exhibit:
"Death-mask; plaster-of-Paris cast copy; Napoleon Bonaparte; shows Napoleon bald, eyes sunken and closed, cheeks hollow and mouth slightly open, revealing teeth; back hollow; at top of head are remains of bronze suspension loop."
And some information about the conservation work carried out:
"Treatment date
21 October 1993
Reason for treatment
Permanent Exhibition
Treatment proposal
Clean. Tone down white spots.
Condition
Very dirty, with handling grease on high points. Numerous scratches exposing white plaster. Old repairs, especially at crown of head and tip of nose.
Treatment details
Cleaned with acetone on cotton wool swabs, twice. Some improvement of appearance. Further cleaned with cotton wool swabs barely moistened in distilled water, up to three times if necessary, to give an even pale grey appearance after cleaning. Scratches were no longer visually obtrusive."
Source: (
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Reading about Bonarparte's death mask, on the internet, reveals that there are several in existence and made either of plaster or bronze and they reside in various locations around the globe.
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