What question did this study set out to answer?

This paper aims to provide a detailed account of a specific mummy portrait while identifying its subject and linking it to a broader research project.

June 4, 2026Open Access

A Man From Where?: Creating a Comprehensive Record of a Mummy Portrait in the Oriental Institute's Collection

KBKatherine BeavisMassachusetts General Hospital

Key Points

This paper aims to provide a detailed account of a specific mummy portrait while identifying its subject and linking it to a broader research project.
Descriptive analysis of the mummy portrait's features, including cloak, scarf, and phalerae.
Utilization of early photographs for corroborating details regarding the portrait's conservation.
Involvement with the APPEAR Project for creating a global database.
Identified the subject of the mummy portrait as a soldier based on clothing and artifacts, despite some conservation losses.
Demonstrated the importance of documenting and conserving such portraits for enhanced research collaboration.
Linked the portrait to the APPEAR Project, emphasizing its role in unifying research efforts across multiple institutions.

Abstract

This paper is the first comprehensive account of the male mummy portrait (also known as a "Fayum" or "Fayoum" portrait) in the Oriental Institute in Chicago. I identify the man as a soldier based upon his cloak, scarf, and phalerae (the last of which have been destroyed by conservation but are attested by early photographs of the portrait). The paper also links the identification of this man and his conservation with the ongoing APPEAR Project, run by the Getty Museum in Los Angeles in partnership with 49 museums around the world, including the Oriental Institute. The project seeks to create a unified database for coordinated global research on this striking and under-researched genre of portraiture.

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