Mummy Portrait of a Man Wearing an Ivy Wreath

Let's start the beginning of the week with ... a mummy portrait!

I know it sounds a bit creepy—but look how beautiful it is. And how handsome this guy was.   : o 

This portrait belongs to a large group of similar works known as Fayum portraits, so named for the region in northern Egypt in which many have been discovered. To create this man’s likeness, the artist painted a thin piece of wood with encaustic, or pigmented wax, a medium that not only gave the impression of three-dimensionality but also resisted fading and deterioration in the dry climate of Egypt. These highly individualized and lifelike portraits conveyed the wealth and status of the person depicted through clothing, jewelry, and other embellishments, such as the gold wreath of ivy worn by this man.

P.S. Fascinated? Here is more on these super interesting portraits that are like a sneak peek into the past.