121. Gilded Mummy Portrait of a Woman,

Er-Roubayat, Egypt, Roman, c. 160-170 C.E.

Encaustic on limewood, 44.2 x 20 cm.

The British Museum, London.

 

 

Discovered in Egypt in 1888 by Flinders Petrie, the portraits of the Fayoum are a series of representations dating back to the first century C.E. They represent the populations that crossed the Fayoum and these images remain an incontrovertible source of information on these civilizations. The hairstyle of the woman depicts the fashion from this epoch; she wears a gold leaf crown, a violet tunic bordered with bands of gold and a white coat. The quality of the portrait, the richness of the jewellery made of precious stones and the beauty of the dress indicates that the woman being represented was part of the upper class in this society.