AssetID: 54583610
Headline: Rare Statuette Of Ancient Egyptian God Osiris To Go On Sale
Caption: An incredibly rare bronze statuette of Osiris, depicted in mummified form, is to be shown and sold at The European Fine Art Foundation event in Maastricht later this month (15-20 March 2025). In this 55 cm statuette, the ancient Egyptian god is shown wearing the White Crown of Upper Egypt, complete with a central uraeus and chin strap. While the usual false beard is now missing, the facial features are finely cast, with slender eyebrows over recessed almond-shaped eyes and prominent cosmetic lines. His hands are crossed over his chest, clutching the lower ends of the crook and flail – royal implements that would have originally extended upwards towards his shoulders. Statuettes of Osiris were produced in a variety of sizes, and this is a notably large example. A similar-sized piece is held in The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Osiris, the firstborn of the earth god Geb and sky goddess Nut, was one of the oldest and most revered deities in the Egyptian pantheon. According to mythology, he was one of the first pharaohs of Egypt, teaching agriculture and crafts to humanity alongside his consort Isis. After being killed by his brother Seth and later resurrected, Osiris became the Lord of the Underworld, a symbol of reincarnation, and the judge of the dead. Depictions of Osiris frequently present him in mummified form, wearing the White Crown and holding the crook and flail as emblems of royal authority. By the first millennium BC, statues and statuettes of Osiris were widely produced and offered in temples as votive objects, reflecting his central role in Egyptian religion. While many Osiris figures have been uncovered in temple and shrine contexts dedicated to the god, others have emerged from less clearly defined offering sites, indicating the breadth of his worship across ancient Egypt. It is being sold by London-based art dealer and gallery David Aaron.
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