Portrait of a Bearded Man from a Shrine

Holding a wreath of pink flowers and a leafy green sprig, a bearded man gazes out from this Romano-Egyptian panel painting. The sprig and wreath, symbols of life and rebirth, suggest that this man was an initiate in the cult of the goddess Isis. In most respects, this panel bears close resemblance to contemporary mummy portraits.

Scholars are unsure how to interpret this portrait. Does the image show a fervent, living initiate displaying the symbols of his religious beliefs? Or is the man in the portrait deceased? In other words, is this picture really a mummy portrait that did not get wrapped in its mummy for some reason?