Egypt to loan restored Roman-era Tondo to Rome

Egypt has unveiled the restored ‘Tondo of the Two Brothers’, a rare 2nd-century Roman-period encaustic painting. Following a three-week joint conservation effort between Egyptian and Italian specialists, the circular wooden panel is set to leave Egypt for the first time in history.

The restoration addressed significant damage caused by wood-boring insects and corrected errors from previous historical interventions, such as misaligned facial fragments. Experts used balsa wood supports and specialized materials to stabilize the fragile paint and wood without obscuring the object’s history.

The masterpiece will be a centerpiece of the international exhibition ‘The Power of Portraiture: Egypt and Rome – Faces of Fayum’ at the Museo dell’Ara Pacis in Rome. The exhibition is scheduled to run from November 5, 2026, to May 2, 2027, and will feature various Fayum mummy portraits loaned from Egyptian museums and other international institutions.