DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.3389#0013
QUALITY OF PORTRAITS
Here it is clear that all the portraits with head
to south are good or medium, and not a single poor
portrait lay in that direction ; whereas in other
directions there were nearly as many poor as good.
We must then conclude that all southerly burials are
in the earlier part of the period of portraits.
The direction of the burials and the sex could be
distinguished when the portraits were often too
much injured to consider their quality. Hence the
amount of material is larger on these two points than
when including the portraits. We find the direction
of the heads to be
N. E. S. W.
Men . .7 1 6 14
Women . .6 5 11 3
This shows a large preponderance of women to
the south, nearly a half, and similarly half of the men
to the west. We can hardly suppose that the sex
was considered at these rough burials. The con-
clusion must be that, as the southerly burials are the
earlier, women were more often painted in the earlier
part of tlieperiod when southern burial was the rule,
and men mostly in the later period when western
and other positions were common.
10. Another comparison is in the quality of the
portraits found singly and those found in groups.
Good. Medium. Poor.
Portraits singly . .10 6 8
Portraits in groups .17 7 6
Here the group portraits are much better in
quality. This is due probably to two causes; the
groups are likely to belong to richer families who
could afford many portraits, and such riches were
diminishing during the period through the impoverish-
ment of the country, and so groups would be mainly
earlier; also the richer families could afford better
artists for their portraits.
Looking now at the relation of the portrait to the
preparation of the mummy, we see that the foot-case
is related to the quality of the portrait.
Good. Medium. Bad.
Plain feet ... 19 9 4
Gilt feet ... 4 2 6
Here the mummies with plain feet have far better
portraits than those with gilt feet.
The same is seen regarding the use of gilt buttons
on the bandaging".
Good. Medium. Bad.
Without buttons . . 13 7 4
With buttons . . 12 2 5
Here those with buttons seem rather worse.
11. Let us now compare the southern burials,
which we have seen to be all early, with the use of
buttons :
Heads S.
Otherwise.
Without buttons
• 13
15
With buttons .
• 4
16
Here the earlier class with heads south seldom
have buttons ; those in other directions have buttons
oftener than not. Hence the earlier mummies have
plain feet and no buttons ; the introduction of gilt
footcases and buttons were later additions to the
portrait system.
The number of layers of the rhombic wrappings
shows a slight decrease ; those with good and medium
portraits average &2 layers, with poor portraits 5*3
layers.
As we have seen that women were more often
painted in the earlier and men in the later period,
we can check this against the conclusions about the
fittings of the mummy.
Women. Men.
Foot-case gilt
+
. 6
24
+
9
IS
Buttons gilt
. 10
20
10
13
These results agree that the earlier stage was
mainly of women's portraits, with few foot-cases and
not usually with buttons: while men's portraits have
foot-cases and buttons more often.
The red-painted cloth covers, without rhombic
bandaging, are all with portraits of good quality, two
found in 1888 and two in 1911. Also two resined
cloth covers Nos. 59 and 60 both have good portraits,
and demotic inscriptions. Hence the whole of the
cloth covers seem to belong to the earliest stage of
the portraits.
The general conclusions are that the earlier stage
of portrait mummies is that of the covers of red
cloth, or resined cloth, or else rhombic bandaging:
that women were more often painted in the earlier
than the later stage : that the burial with head to
the south was usual in early times but not later : that
in later times gilt foot-cases and buttons were intro-
duced on the portrait mummies from the Egyptian
system already existing. The historical conclusion
is that the Graeco-Roman population adopted mum-
mification, with the portrait attached, and gradually
added the ordinary Egyptian foot-cases and button
ornaments at a later time.
Here it is clear that all the portraits with head
to south are good or medium, and not a single poor
portrait lay in that direction ; whereas in other
directions there were nearly as many poor as good.
We must then conclude that all southerly burials are
in the earlier part of the period of portraits.
The direction of the burials and the sex could be
distinguished when the portraits were often too
much injured to consider their quality. Hence the
amount of material is larger on these two points than
when including the portraits. We find the direction
of the heads to be
N. E. S. W.
Men . .7 1 6 14
Women . .6 5 11 3
This shows a large preponderance of women to
the south, nearly a half, and similarly half of the men
to the west. We can hardly suppose that the sex
was considered at these rough burials. The con-
clusion must be that, as the southerly burials are the
earlier, women were more often painted in the earlier
part of tlieperiod when southern burial was the rule,
and men mostly in the later period when western
and other positions were common.
10. Another comparison is in the quality of the
portraits found singly and those found in groups.
Good. Medium. Poor.
Portraits singly . .10 6 8
Portraits in groups .17 7 6
Here the group portraits are much better in
quality. This is due probably to two causes; the
groups are likely to belong to richer families who
could afford many portraits, and such riches were
diminishing during the period through the impoverish-
ment of the country, and so groups would be mainly
earlier; also the richer families could afford better
artists for their portraits.
Looking now at the relation of the portrait to the
preparation of the mummy, we see that the foot-case
is related to the quality of the portrait.
Good. Medium. Bad.
Plain feet ... 19 9 4
Gilt feet ... 4 2 6
Here the mummies with plain feet have far better
portraits than those with gilt feet.
The same is seen regarding the use of gilt buttons
on the bandaging".
Good. Medium. Bad.
Without buttons . . 13 7 4
With buttons . . 12 2 5
Here those with buttons seem rather worse.
11. Let us now compare the southern burials,
which we have seen to be all early, with the use of
buttons :
Heads S.
Otherwise.
Without buttons
• 13
15
With buttons .
• 4
16
Here the earlier class with heads south seldom
have buttons ; those in other directions have buttons
oftener than not. Hence the earlier mummies have
plain feet and no buttons ; the introduction of gilt
footcases and buttons were later additions to the
portrait system.
The number of layers of the rhombic wrappings
shows a slight decrease ; those with good and medium
portraits average &2 layers, with poor portraits 5*3
layers.
As we have seen that women were more often
painted in the earlier and men in the later period,
we can check this against the conclusions about the
fittings of the mummy.
Women. Men.
Foot-case gilt
+
. 6
24
+
9
IS
Buttons gilt
. 10
20
10
13
These results agree that the earlier stage was
mainly of women's portraits, with few foot-cases and
not usually with buttons: while men's portraits have
foot-cases and buttons more often.
The red-painted cloth covers, without rhombic
bandaging, are all with portraits of good quality, two
found in 1888 and two in 1911. Also two resined
cloth covers Nos. 59 and 60 both have good portraits,
and demotic inscriptions. Hence the whole of the
cloth covers seem to belong to the earliest stage of
the portraits.
The general conclusions are that the earlier stage
of portrait mummies is that of the covers of red
cloth, or resined cloth, or else rhombic bandaging:
that women were more often painted in the earlier
than the later stage : that the burial with head to
the south was usual in early times but not later : that
in later times gilt foot-cases and buttons were intro-
duced on the portrait mummies from the Egyptian
system already existing. The historical conclusion
is that the Graeco-Roman population adopted mum-
mification, with the portrait attached, and gradually
added the ordinary Egyptian foot-cases and button
ornaments at a later time.