This cartonnage blends Egyptian and Classical traditions. The portrait combines an Egyptian hieroglyph for “protection” (linked to Isis) with a Greek or Roman wreath.

A red symbol on the left shoulder, often mistaken for a swastika, is in fact an ancient Greek sign for holiness. At the base, the boat of Sokar, a form of the sun god, appears flanked by jackals.

The 𝘮𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘺 was unwrapped in the 1950s and rewrapped in 2010 for exhibition. Radiocarbon dating conducted in 2009 places his death between 259 and 398 CE, confirming the date suggested by the cartonnage’s style.