The mysterious Fayum portraits

A compact edition of this highly acclaimed survey of the Fayum paintings, the enigmatic and compelling funeral portraits created by the inhabitants of Roman Egypt in the 1st century CE. These remarkable paintings take their name from a district of Roman Egypt, whose people in the first three centuries AD included Greeks, Egyptians, Romans, Syrians, Libyans, Nubians and Jews. In the Egyptian tradition, they embalmed the bodies of their dead; but then placed a painted portrait over the mummy, preserving the memory of each individual to an uncanny degree. Over 1000 have so far been discovered - men, women and children of all ages.