imagines
Roman portrait masks of deceased members of a family; made of wax and painted, and probably fastened onto busts. They were kept in small wooden shrines set into the inner walls of the atrium; beneath the shrines were inscriptions which recorded the names, merits, and exploits of the individuals. The images were arranged and connected with one another by means of colored chords, in such a way as to exhibit the pedigree of the family. (Harris, 1977)