Asja Müller | Freie Universität Berlin (original) (raw)

Papers by Asja Müller

Archäologischer Anzeiger 2022, 2023

This paper deals with the fragments of four cartonnage and plaster masks excavated in 2018 during... more This paper deals with the fragments of four cartonnage and plaster masks excavated in 2018 during the excavations of the University of Minia at Tuna el-Gebel. Starting with a summary of the state of knowledge on pre-Roman tombs at Tuna el-Gebel, these objects are described both iconographically and stylistically and a chronological classification is attempted. Furthermore, the currently very limited state of research on Ptolemaic mummy masks as a whole is (re)assessed, critically exploring the possibilities and limitations of a discussion of production technique, function and dating. The paper concludes that three of the mummy masks (I–II and IV) find their closest parallels in the neighbouring necropolis of Antinooupolis, while one piece (III)
corresponds most closely to masks from Thebes. All the masks probably belonged to local persons of high status but were not intended to represent the deceased before a living audience. Their main function was rather to assist the deceased in his/her transformation into a divine being. Based on current knowledge, a relative chronological sequence can be suggested from the cartonnage masks I–III from the early to middle Ptolemaic period to plaster mask IV from the late Ptolemaic to early Imperial period.

MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 26, 2023

A. Haug – A. Müller (eds.), Hellenistic Architecture and Human Action. A Case of Reciprocal Influence, Scales of Transformation in Prehistoric and Archaic Societies 10 (Leiden 2020) 11–20, 2020

A. Haug – A. Müller (eds.), Hellenistic Architecture and Human Action. A Case of Reciprocal Influence, Scales of Transformation in Prehistoric and Archaic Societies 10 (Leiden 2020) 125–143, 2020

This chapter focuses on Hellenistic sanctuaries with regard to their design, taking into account ... more This chapter focuses on Hellenistic sanctuaries with regard to their design, taking into account the contribution of landscape as well as movement and perception.
Two general design modes, secluded and entangled sanctuaries, will be discussed, each exemplified by means of two case studies: for the first mode, the Late Classical Asclepieion of Athens and the Hellenistic sanctuary of Demeter in Pergamon; for the second, the Late Classical sanctuary of Zeus in Labraunda and the Hellenistic sanctuary of Hera in Pergamon. Through these case studies, characteristics as well as transformations in the conception of built space are pointed out.

A. Berlejung – J. E. Filitz (eds.), The Physicality of the Other. Masks from the Ancient Near East and the Eatern Mediterranean (Tübingen 2018) 91–112, 2018

K. A. Kóthay (ed.), Burial and Mortuary Practices in Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt: Proceedings of the International Conference held at Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, 17–19 July 2014 (Budapest 2017) 293–306, 2017

This paper presents 26 mummy masks, heretofore almost unpublished, in the Budapest Museum of Fine... more This paper presents 26 mummy masks, heretofore almost unpublished, in the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts, and uses them as a case study to explore some of the issues that are linked to the material: manufacture, iconography, dating, provenance and function. It hereby adds new pieces to the expanding corpus of Roman Period mummy masks known to researchers, and demonstrates how information can be even extracted from pieces that are only fragmentarily preserved, as is the case in many other collections worldwide.

M. Tomorad - J. Popielska-Grzybowska (eds.), Egypt 2015 - Perspectives of Research: Proceedings of the Seventh European Conference of Egyptologists. 2nd - 7th June 2015, Zagreb, Croatia (Oxford 2017) 127–145, 2017

The paper discusses eight unprovenanced Roman Period mummy masks from European museums. Each piec... more The paper discusses eight unprovenanced Roman Period mummy masks from European museums. Each piece will be allocated to a major workshop group active during the Roman Period in Egypt by means of its characteristics. In a second step, the distribution areas of these workshop groups will also be discussed. The emerging results should make it possible to assign a majority of the masks of unknown origin to certain excavation sites. In the future, research on such a workshop pattern could be used as a starting point for answering question about the influence that the mask's area of production and prevalent religious traditions have on its appearance.

Books by Asja Müller

Reichert: Wiesbaden, 2021

open access (free download): https://publications.dainst.org/books/dai/catalog/book/367 How do... more open access (free download): https://publications.dainst.org/books/dai/catalog/book/367

How do mummy masks act? This question is the starting point for the present investigation, consciously aiming towards a new perspective of research. In contrast to the modern point of view, mummy masks cannot simply be regarded as inanimate objects, but should rather be seen as autonomous entities. Depending on the particular context, they could become subjects and were therefore regarded as agents equal to human beings in antiquity. Therefore, the book seeks to explore how mummy masks acquired such a status and in which situations this happened.

Archäologischer Anzeiger 2022, 2023

This paper deals with the fragments of four cartonnage and plaster masks excavated in 2018 during... more This paper deals with the fragments of four cartonnage and plaster masks excavated in 2018 during the excavations of the University of Minia at Tuna el-Gebel. Starting with a summary of the state of knowledge on pre-Roman tombs at Tuna el-Gebel, these objects are described both iconographically and stylistically and a chronological classification is attempted. Furthermore, the currently very limited state of research on Ptolemaic mummy masks as a whole is (re)assessed, critically exploring the possibilities and limitations of a discussion of production technique, function and dating. The paper concludes that three of the mummy masks (I–II and IV) find their closest parallels in the neighbouring necropolis of Antinooupolis, while one piece (III)
corresponds most closely to masks from Thebes. All the masks probably belonged to local persons of high status but were not intended to represent the deceased before a living audience. Their main function was rather to assist the deceased in his/her transformation into a divine being. Based on current knowledge, a relative chronological sequence can be suggested from the cartonnage masks I–III from the early to middle Ptolemaic period to plaster mask IV from the late Ptolemaic to early Imperial period.

MAAT. Nachrichten aus dem Staatlichen Museum Ägyptischer Kunst München 26, 2023

A. Haug – A. Müller (eds.), Hellenistic Architecture and Human Action. A Case of Reciprocal Influence, Scales of Transformation in Prehistoric and Archaic Societies 10 (Leiden 2020) 11–20, 2020

A. Haug – A. Müller (eds.), Hellenistic Architecture and Human Action. A Case of Reciprocal Influence, Scales of Transformation in Prehistoric and Archaic Societies 10 (Leiden 2020) 125–143, 2020

This chapter focuses on Hellenistic sanctuaries with regard to their design, taking into account ... more This chapter focuses on Hellenistic sanctuaries with regard to their design, taking into account the contribution of landscape as well as movement and perception.
Two general design modes, secluded and entangled sanctuaries, will be discussed, each exemplified by means of two case studies: for the first mode, the Late Classical Asclepieion of Athens and the Hellenistic sanctuary of Demeter in Pergamon; for the second, the Late Classical sanctuary of Zeus in Labraunda and the Hellenistic sanctuary of Hera in Pergamon. Through these case studies, characteristics as well as transformations in the conception of built space are pointed out.

A. Berlejung – J. E. Filitz (eds.), The Physicality of the Other. Masks from the Ancient Near East and the Eatern Mediterranean (Tübingen 2018) 91–112, 2018

K. A. Kóthay (ed.), Burial and Mortuary Practices in Late Period and Graeco-Roman Egypt: Proceedings of the International Conference held at Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest, 17–19 July 2014 (Budapest 2017) 293–306, 2017

This paper presents 26 mummy masks, heretofore almost unpublished, in the Budapest Museum of Fine... more This paper presents 26 mummy masks, heretofore almost unpublished, in the Budapest Museum of Fine Arts, and uses them as a case study to explore some of the issues that are linked to the material: manufacture, iconography, dating, provenance and function. It hereby adds new pieces to the expanding corpus of Roman Period mummy masks known to researchers, and demonstrates how information can be even extracted from pieces that are only fragmentarily preserved, as is the case in many other collections worldwide.

M. Tomorad - J. Popielska-Grzybowska (eds.), Egypt 2015 - Perspectives of Research: Proceedings of the Seventh European Conference of Egyptologists. 2nd - 7th June 2015, Zagreb, Croatia (Oxford 2017) 127–145, 2017

The paper discusses eight unprovenanced Roman Period mummy masks from European museums. Each piec... more The paper discusses eight unprovenanced Roman Period mummy masks from European museums. Each piece will be allocated to a major workshop group active during the Roman Period in Egypt by means of its characteristics. In a second step, the distribution areas of these workshop groups will also be discussed. The emerging results should make it possible to assign a majority of the masks of unknown origin to certain excavation sites. In the future, research on such a workshop pattern could be used as a starting point for answering question about the influence that the mask's area of production and prevalent religious traditions have on its appearance.

Reichert: Wiesbaden, 2021

open access (free download): https://publications.dainst.org/books/dai/catalog/book/367 How do... more open access (free download): https://publications.dainst.org/books/dai/catalog/book/367

How do mummy masks act? This question is the starting point for the present investigation, consciously aiming towards a new perspective of research. In contrast to the modern point of view, mummy masks cannot simply be regarded as inanimate objects, but should rather be seen as autonomous entities. Depending on the particular context, they could become subjects and were therefore regarded as agents equal to human beings in antiquity. Therefore, the book seeks to explore how mummy masks acquired such a status and in which situations this happened.