The Death Mask Lives On

I'm quite sure we all have seen death masks made of famous people. If you haven't seen one at a museum, you've probably seen one on the internet. Death masks have been made for centuries and had great importance in a time without photography.

Napoleon Bonapart

There, now I know you've seen one on the internet. Some masks that claim to be death masks are actually life masks that were made before the subject died. I call that cheating death. Ha.

Did you know that there are still death masks being made and that you can arrange to have a death mask made of yourself?! Now, if you want to have one made for yourself, good luck finding someone who wants to take care of it year after year and you have to be ok with the thought that it might possibly be decorated with funny hats for various holidays. If you're comfortable with all that, then you might want to check out the websites of the following two artists.

Artist Nick Reynolds has a site called Memorial Casts. He is kind of famous for making casts of people like the manager of the Sex Pistols, Malcolm McLaren, and a cast of a man executed in Texas.  

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Reynolds work definitely has a creative flair. There are some interesting news articles about Reynolds so you should check out the Press section of his site.

Will Self

Mic Jones

Butterfly Bronze is another establishment where you can have death masks and memorial sculptures made in your likeness by artist William Hayes. 

Death Mask by Butterfly Bronze

If you're not sure about a death mask yet, you might want to contact Hayes about his bronze casts of live flowers. You never know when you might want to save your rose that won first prize in the county fair.