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Portrait from a Young Man’s Mummy
In the Late Period of Egypt, burial practices of the Egyptian and other Mediterranean populations merged. Although people were still mummified according to Egyptian custom, some chose to have a non-Egyptian-style portrait, like this one, attached to the mummy over the wrapped face.
The style of the painting—Roman portrait rather than more stylized Egyptian image—tells us as much about the ethnic identity of this man as his clothing and hairstyle.
Learning Resources Name: Portrait from a Young Man’s Mummy
Material: Wood, wax, pigment
Size:
Height: 42 cm (1 ft 4 in)
Date: 1st century CE, Roman period
Place of Origin: Hawara, Egypt
Location: Oriental Institute Museum, Chicago, Illinois
Source and Registration#: Oriental Institute Museum 2053
Geoff Emberling
Former Chief Curator, Oriental Institute Museum of the University of Chicago
