Mummy Wrapping of Young Boy

This piece of artwork is counted as one of the most important finds in terms of ancient art. Created with a technique called Encaustic Painting, it is the earliest known example of painting an accurate representation of a specific individual.

It is a panel painted using a hot wax technique. The artist would heat the colored wax and then paint the image with the liquid before it turned solid. The panel was inserted in the mummy wrappings of the young boy and contains his body. It is dated to approximately 100 - 120 CE (Common Era or AD) and was found in Egypt. Standing 53 inches high, it consists of linen wrappings, stucco buttons and the inserted portrait measuring 9.5 X16.5 centimeters.