Daily Photo - Hawara mummy portraits (Petrie Museum)

The mummy portraits are lovely. It is almost impossible not to fall for them when you are face to face with the real thing, even if the Graeco-Roman period isn't really your field. Unlike the Pharaonic mummy masks these really make you feel that you could almost reach out and have a conversation with the person shown in the portrait. You can click on the small image to see a larger photo or go to the Petrie website (address below) to see more.


UC19607. Encaustic wax mummy portrait of male youth in brown toga painted on thin wood panel. Roman period. Hawara

UC33971. Wax encaustic portriat on wooden panel of young man with short, dark hair in rows of curls across forehead; skin pigment cream and patchy pink, lips deeper pink, eyes dark brown and white, haze of dark curly beard around chin; neck long and thick. Roman period. Hawara.

UC19613. Encaustic wax mummy portrait of head and shoulders of dark haired young man, clean shaven, facing left, wearing gold fillet; on thin wooden panel. Roman period. Hawara.

UC19612. Encaustic wax mummy portrait of hair and shoulders of dark curly-haired young man with slight beard and moustache, face left, wearing gold fillet, pink toga and white scarf; on thin wooden panel. See also UC.38060 for this sight no. Roman period. Hawara.

UC30088. Wax portrait on wood of woman, with short black curly hair, wearing silvered glass or coral and gold pendant earrings; and two strings of beads- one of amethyst or garnet and beryl, with gold; and the other of silvered glass or coral and gold. Roman period. Hawara.

If these appeal to you, you may be interested in the book Living Images, by Janet Picton, Stephen Quirke and Paul C. Roberts. Click here for more information.

Copyright: Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology,
University College London
With my thanks