Two days ago the British Museum twitter account posted this item, which seemed to me worthy of wider circulation. They posted a picture of an item in their collection, together with one of the Fayoum mummy portraits depicting it in actual use!
This mystery object is a diadem ornament worn by priests of the god Serapis in Roman Egypt http://ow.ly/THZsg
Gold diadem-ornament, from a diadem of the priests of Serapis. c.1-3 AD. 10mm high.Portrait of bearded man (BM portrait 1994,0521.12)
The juxtaposition is pure genius.
The link goes through to the British Musem site, where bibliography may be found.
