Bust of a Man in the University of Pennsylvania Museum, November 2009

Bust of a Man
Plaster
Height 0.66 m
El Kharga (in Upper Egypt)
Roman Period, 2nd century AD

# E 886 a,b

This bust reflects the injection of several eastern Mediterranean influences on an otherwise traditional Egyptian theme. In contrast with the impersonal cartonnage mask placed on mummies from the Middle Kingdom onwards, portraiture of the deceased was now realistic. The general style is Hellenistic in nature, but the hairstyle and the beard match the prevalent fashions of the court in Rome.

The earliest types of this bust consisted of a hollow headpiece which was actually fitted over the skull. However later examples, like this one, were raised at an angle to the body to give the impression that the head was resting on a pillow.

Text from the U. Penn. Museum label.