“The traditional death mask was prepared, and then the sculptors went one step further than usual. They also did a casting of his hands. By now rigor mortis had set in, and they had become fixed in their natural position. The fingers of his left hand were splayed out, flat, as if holding a book or piece of paper down on his desk. The thumb and index finger of the right hand were curled as if to hold a pen and to begin writing one more book.”
Kittleson, James F. Luther The Reformer: The Story of the Man and His Career, Minneapolis, MN [Augsburg Publishing House], 1986 pg. 298.