What term describes the realistic painted portraits on mummy cases from Roman Egypt?

The realistic painted portraits on mummy cases from Roman Egypt are called Fayum mummy portraits.

These naturalistic images were usually painted on wooden panels and attached to the wrappings of mummified people. They date mainly from the late 1st century BC or early 1st century AD through the 3rd century AD, when Egypt was under Roman rule. The name refers to the Faiyum Basin, where many were discovered, although examples have been found elsewhere in Egypt.

Most portraits show a single person from the front, often as a bust. Artists used encaustic, a technique involving colored pigments mixed with hot wax, as well as tempera. Gold leaf sometimes highlighted jewelry or wreaths. Their lifelike shading and large eyes reflect Greco-Roman portrait traditions more than older Egyptian image conventions.

A common mistake is assuming every example came from the Faiyum or that the portraits were simply household paintings later reused. Their exact production history remains debated, but they are among the best surviving examples of ancient Mediterranean panel painting.