Ancient Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. An exemplary and quite sizable leaded bronze statue depicting the revered deity Osiris, god of the underworld, who stands in mummiform with fused legs atop an integral, tiered plinth. Covered in layers of green and brown patina with areas of russet as well, Osiris presents wearing a wesekh broad collar beneath a postiche beard and holds his signature heka scepter and flagellum (nekhakh) in staggered hands atop his abdomen. His stylized countenance exhibits ovoid eyes, a broad nose, slender lips, and an Atef crown flanked with ostrich feathers and with frontal uraeus cobra. This would have been a votive figure, perhaps made to be kept in a wealthy home and prayed to, deposited in a temple as an offering, or, most likely, kept for ritual with other metallic objects by priests. Size: 1.8" L x 1.8" W x 6.7" H (4.6 cm x 4.6 cm x 17 cm); 7.375" H (18.7 cm) on included custom stand.

Osiris is one of the most revered gods in Egyptian civilization and is sometimes referred to as the son of Ra, the sun god, and father of the falcon-headed god Horus. In hieroglyphs Osiris is often depicted with green skin, evocative of his role in the afterlife; or with brown skin, indicating an associated also with fertility, in this case the mud of the Nile, whose seasonal flood was the most important natural event in ancient Egypt.

Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, accession numbers 04.2.440 and 74.51.5584

Provenance: private Coral Springs, Florida, USA collection; ex-Alfred Byrd Graf estate, Dusseldorf, Germany, acquired before 2000

All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.

A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.

We ship worldwide to most countries and handle all shipping in-house for your convenience.

#183801

Minor chipping to surface patina, with softening to some finer details, and light earthen deposits, otherwise intact and excellent. Great patina and great figural form!