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Lot 1826
A Choice Figurine of Osiris, in Bronze. Egypt, Late Period, c. 664-332 BC. The bearded god in mummiform pose, standing in form fitting robe, and holding a crook and flail in his crossed hands, with the atef crown upon his head. A tenon, for insertion into a base, can be seen underneath the god's feet. The figure finely proportioned, with precise detailing, and an exquisitely modeled face. Well preserved, with dark brown patina, showing slight traces of green. Height: 6-5/8", on custom base. Small, but exceptionally attractive! This one of the most appealing examples this cataloger has seen in some years.
Estimated Value $5,000 - 6,000.
Religion in ancient Egypt was an important part of everyday life. Priests daily attended to the needs of the gods (who were thought to be present in their cult images), and thus were instrumental in keeping order and normalcy in the world, not only of the present, but with an ever vigilant eye to the world of the hereafter also. Viewed from the outside, the ancient Egyptians were inordinately focused, if not obsessed, on the blessings to enjoyed in the afterlife. As such, the deity in charge of the Underworld would of course rank among the most worthy of worship. And so, throughout the height of Egyptian civilization, Osiris was one of the primary deities. In power, he was second only his father, Ra, who was the leader of the gods on earth.
In appearance, Osiris was viewed as a green-skinned man dressed in the form of a mummified pharaoh. He is often depicted wearing the atef crown with a pair of ram horns at its base.
Osiris was the husband of Isis, the most important of goddesses, and the father of Horus (and a number of other gods). Osiris had to reside in the underworld after being killed by his evil brother Seth, even though he was a god. Isis resurrected him with the Ritual of Life, which was later given to the Egyptians so that they could give eternal life to all their dead (this lore collected into what is colloquially known as The Book of the Dead). Osiris sits on a great throne in the underworld, where a part of the land is known as the Blessed Land. There life is like that of the living, but without sorrow or pain. An even earlier adjunct to the story of Osiris is that he was the first king of Egypt, and it was he who taught the people of about farming, and so raised them out of barbarism. In fact, they believed that it was he who gave them the gift of barley, one of their most important crops. Thus the resurrection aspect of his mythology is reiterated in his worship as a fertility god, who ensured the rebirth of vegetation each spring along the Nile.
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