This is a life-size museum-grade replica of the Martin Luther death mask, capturing the final resting features of the 62-year-old theologian following his death in Eisleben in February 1546.
It is made of reconstituted limestone mixed with pulverized bronze and acrylic. It is finished in an extremely hard, temperature-resistant wax designed to retain its deep bronze patina under harsh museum lighting.
The original impression was taken shortly after Luther's death, likely by artist Lukas Furtenagel, to serve as an accurate reference for a funeral effigy. The closest surviving original cast is preserved at the Marktkirche in Halle, Germany.
Unlike later idealized paintings, this life-size duplicate preserves the unvarnished physical reality of the central figure of the Protestant Reformation. It measures 30 cm in length and weighs approximately 700 grams, or 1.5 lbs. It is the best representation of the stark reality of his aging face in life-size scale.
