Living Images

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology, London, possesses the largest collection of Roman period Egyptian mummy portraits in Britain. This volume presents a full catalogue of the items, with additional discussions and new research on the archaeological context of the mummies, including extracts from Flinders Petrie's original excavation journals, notebooks and diaries (c.1888-1911); conservation techniques and discussion of contemporaneous painting techniques. More than simply the first complete catalogue of a central collection, this work offers state of the art syntheses of some of the key aspects of research into what are fascinating works of art by internationally-renowned experts. The catalogue provides description of the key technical and stylistic features of each portrait, assessment of the their iconographic characteristics and cross-references to related material. An essential work of reference for all those interested in early portraiture, Egyptian art, burial practices and conservation techniques. The catalogue also serves as a memorial volume to Barbara Adams (1945-2002), Curator of the Petrie Museum and international scholar.