Forensic examination of a fragmentary funerary portrait in the collection of the Harvard art museums

Abstract

The Harvard Art Museums’ collection includes six Egyptian funerary portraits of the Roman period. These portraits are all that remains of the funerary equipment of individuals whose bodies were carefully prepared for burial and the afterlife. One example, depicting a man, is particularly complicated, broken into multiple fragments which have been glued down onto a board. The in-depth study of the portrait used a combination of non-invasive techniques, including X-radiography, infrared-, ultraviolet- and visible-induced luminescence imaging, and X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy to identify and locate particular pigments, binders and other artist materials, without needing to take a sample. Targeted sampling, informed by the imaging process, was then undertaken for additional analysis through the use of cross-sections, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray spectrometry, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, radiocarbon dating, and lead isotope ratio analysis. This study identified a core group of three fragments in the center of the portrait that comprise much of the face and neck, tunic, and part of the hair. The remaining 15 fragments contain most of the background, parts of the hair, and the proper left eye and tunic, and are distinct from the central group of fragments. Analysis suggests these fragments were reused from other ancient funerary portraits, and whilst it was not possible to connect any of these added fragments to one another, a potential workshop connection between the central fragments and three added fragments can be suggested based on a study of the composition of the lead white pigment, and similarities in painting technique.