Egyptian bronze figurine of Osiris
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Object number
AR3090-D5
| Object: |
Egyptian bronze figurine of Osiris
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| Material: |
Cast 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 and pharaoh's beard. A suspension loop is at the rear side below the neck. 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.
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| 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: |
73mm high. 106mm high including modern stand.
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| Condition: |
Details well preserved. Two chips on the crown, the lower part of the pin broken off and missing. Modern inscription with white pen on the back "B1787" or "31787". Label with typewriter inscription "Ägyptische Bronze-Osiris Theben, um 2000 v. Chr.". Mounted on a modern base with imitation leather cover.
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| Provenance: |
Acquired by us in 2020 from the German family estate Stollenwerk. Inherited in 2015 from the German private collection of the archaeologist and artist Erich Charlier. He acquired his collection, including this piece, between 1950 and 1980 in Europe. The enclosed label suggests Thebes as a find spot. Mr. Charlier was known for his work as an artist and built a reputation in his home country. He had his studio in Hammer, a village in the Eifel region of Germany. The artist is immortalized in numerous church ornaments in the area. For his artistic work Mr. Charlier received the honorary prize of the municipality of Simmerath, as well as the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany in 1994. Fossils and archaeological objects from his collection were or are on display in an exhibition in Hammer, together with typical hand drawings by Mr. Charlier, which he made for many archaeological pieces in his possession. |
| 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. |
| Authenticity: |
We unconditionally guarantee the authenticity of every artefact, all items are subject to our lifetime return policy on authenticity.
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