Death Mask of Prince Charles Edward Stuart
West Highland Museum

This bronze death mask is thought to be a copy of an original made by Bernardina Lucchesi, one of a family of modellers in Rome. It was brought to Scotland by Lucchesi in 1839, and was handed down through his family.

A death mask is a cast of a person’s face that is usually made after they have died.

Lucchesi settled in Glasgow where he continued to work as a modeller until 1863. Lucchesi fell on hard times and some of his belongings, including the mask, were sold. Eventually the mask was purchased by a sculptor named Ferguson. When it came into Ferguson’s possession it was said to have hairs attached to the eyebrows and eyelids!