Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th to 31st Dynasty, ca. 664 to 332 BCE. A lovely figurine cast from leaded bronze depicting Osiris, the god of the Underworld. Osiris presents standing in mummiform with fused legs and grasping his signature crook (heka) and flail or flagellum (nekhakh) in hands held tightly against his chest. His well-defined face exhibits large, almond-shaped eyes, a wide nose above full lips, and a false beard with a curved lower tip. Resting low on his brow is the Atef crown consisting of the Hedjet crown of Upper Egypt, a frontal uraeus cobra, a pair of spiraling ram horns, and a pair of large ostrich feathers. Fine green, brown, and russet patina covers the entire composition. Size: 1.6" W x 5.1" H (4.1 cm x 13 cm); 5.8" H (14.7 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.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Dr. James Tait Goodrich collection, Grandview-on-Hudson, New York, USA, via descent, acquired from the 1970s to 2000s
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#171609
Condition
Losses to proper left ram horn and side of headdress. Nicks, abrasions, and softening of detail, commensurate with age. Otherwise, very nice with rich patina throughout.