Bronze statuette of Osiris
Price: on request
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Object number
AR2966B
| Object: |
Bronze statuette of Osiris
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| Material: |
Bronze.
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| Period: |
Late Period of Ancient Egypt, 26th to 31st dynasty, 664 BC to 332 BC. |
| Description: |
Bronze statuette of Osiris, god of the afterlife. He is depicted as a mummiform young male with the Atef crown, pharaoh's beard and collier.
The arms are joined in front of the chest and hold a crook and flail.
The shepherd's crook together with the flail are insignia of pharaonic authority. They symbolize Osiris' rule as king of the underworld. The bronze statuette is extremely well preserved including many fine details. For example the collier and insignia are stunning. |
| Background: |
Depictions of Osiris are mandatory for every collection of Egyptian antiquities. He is among the most important gods of the ancient Egyptian pantheon. Statuettes of him were used in burials since the New Kingdom. Since the Third Intermediate Period bronze was the most popular material for such statuettes and by the Late Period almost all of them were made of bronze. They are manifestations of the hope of the deceased to be reborn. Osiris was not only the king of the underworld, but also the god of fertility, afterlife and resurrection.
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| Dimensions: |
142mm height (bronze statuette without wooden base). 155mm height including base.
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| Condition: |
Near perfect condition. Only minor damages to the attribute in the right hand and to the Uraeus snake at the crown. The surface is covered by a wonderful multi coloured patina. The statuette is attached with its original bronze pin to a modern wooden base. On the back side old sticker reading "299".
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2017 from an auction house. Previously in the French private collection E. Acquired into that collection in 1982 from Galerie Carrefour, Paris, France. We have a copy of the original description of the gallery from 1982.
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| References: |
Cf. M. Page Gasser, Götter bewohnten Ägypten, Bronzefiguren der Sammlungen Bibel+Orient der Universität Freiburg Schweiz, p. 55 and plate XIII, no. 11. Cf. E. Otto, Werke der Kunst in Heidelberg, aus der Sammlung des ägyptologischen Instituts der Universität Heidelberg, fig. 20/21. Cf. The Metropolitan Museum of Art, inv. no. 74.51.5583. |
| Literature: |
A good explanation of Osiris bronze statuettes can be found in Madeleine Page Gasser's Götter bewohnten Ägypten, Bronzefiguren der Sammlungen Bibel+Orient der Universität Freiburg Schweiz, pages 55ff.
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| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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