Tickets
English
DonateMembership
Tickets

Portrait of a young woman with a gilded wreath

Roman Period
120–140 CE
Not on view
This panel was not painted in the areas where the mummy wrappings have would covered the edges. Once in the wrappings, the background was gilded, and a gilded line was drawn to frame the lower end of the painting. Gold leaf was also used for the wreath and the lower necklace, a gold chain with a crescent (called a lunula). The woman's face and neck are thickly painted in cream, heightened with pink on the cheeks and nose and around the eyes. The shades are built up from a dark ground.

The woman's oval face, large eyes, and slightly open lips give the portrait considerable presence. Venus rings on her neck call attention to her youthful plump beauty. The hairstyle is typical for the period of the Emperor Hadrian, except for the corkscrew locks around the forehead, which may be a regional style.

Link to the Artist Project
Y.Z. Kami on Egyptian mummy portraits

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Portrait of a young woman with a gilded wreath
  • Period: Roman Period
  • Date: 120–140 CE
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Encaustic on wood with gold leaf
  • Dimensions: H. 36.5 x W. 17.8 cm (14 3/8 x 7 in.)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1909
  • Object Number: 09.181.7
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Pair of boat-shaped earrings with filigree and granule decoration, Gold
Pair of boat-shaped earrings with filigree and granule decoration
1st–2nd century CE
Portrait of a young woman in red, Encaustic on limewood with gold leaf
Portrait of a young woman in red
90–120 CE
Boat-shaped earrings with filigree and granule decoration, Gold
Boat-shaped earrings with filigree and granule decoration
1st–2nd century CE
Portrait of a thin-faced man, Encaustic on limewood with gold leaf
Portrait of a thin-faced man
140–170 CE
Pair of boat-shaped earrings with filigree and granule decoration, Gold
Pair of boat-shaped earrings with filigree and granule decoration
1st–2nd century CE

Related Content

Perspectives

Articles, audio, and video from The Met's online magazine.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.