Stories
Egypt's Rare Fayoum Mummy Portraits Set for Historic International Debut in Rome
- •Egypt unveiled the newly restored Tondo of the Two Brothers, a prized 2nd-century painting from the famed Fayum portraits collection.
- •Specialists from Rome collaborated with Egyptian conservators at the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir for three weeks to complete the restoration.
- •Egypt will lend a major part of the Fayum collection for a temporary exhibition in Rome, marking the first time these portraits will travel abroad.
- •The Tondo of the Two Brothers is considered unusual due to its circular shape and depiction of two individuals instead of one.
- •The upcoming exhibition in Rome will feature over 110 objects and run from November until May 2027.
Key Questions Answered
The Tondo of the Two Brothers is a prized 2nd-century painting from the famous Fayum portraits that was recently restored by Egyptian and Italian specialists. It is considered unusual because of its circular shape and depiction of two individuals instead of a single person, ranking it among the most vivid surviving portraits from Roman-era Egypt.
A major part of Egypt's Fayoum mummy portraits collection will travel abroad for the first time to a temporary exhibition in Rome. The exhibition is scheduled to run from November to May 2027 and will feature more than 110 objects, including painted panels, funerary shrouds, masks, and ancient jewelry.
Specialists from Rome worked alongside conservators from the Egyptian Museum in Tahrir for three weeks to restore the artwork. The conservation required careful intervention due to termite damage on the wooden support and fragility of the painted surface, but restorers successfully recovered the features of the brother on the right using the original wax-pigment technique.
