This is a life-size museum-grade replica of the Queen Elizabeth I death mask, casting the unidealized features of the 69-year-old monarch upon her death in 1603.
It is made of reconstituted limestone and pulverized bronze and acrylic. The binder used will retain patina under harsh museum lighting.
The original marble carving from which this is cast resides on her tomb in the Henry VII Chapel at Westminster Abbey. It is widely regarded as the most accurate physical record of the Tudor queen in existence, heavily contrasting with the idealized propaganda portraits mandated during her later reign.
The original 1603 mold taken upon her death is lost to history. This life-size duplicate attempts to recreate the highly realistic 1605 marble tomb effigy carved by Maximilian Colt, measures 35 cm in length and weighs 1196 grams, or about 2.6 lbs. No other representation captured in life-size the stark reality of her aging face.
