Loading, please wait...
Details
LOT 0029
Egyptian Bronze Statuette of Osiris
LATE PERIOD, 664-332 B.C.
5 7/8 in. (63 grams, 15 cm).
A slender standing figure of Osiris in iconic mummiform appearance, wearing the tall conical Atef crown with its flanking Ostrich plumes, and central uraeus, a long, internally-detailed divine beard, and holding the crook (heka) and flail (nekhakha) regalia; with tang under feet for attachment.
Provenance
Acquired on the German art market, 1989-1995.
with The Museum Gallery, 19 Bury Place, London, WC1, UK, 1998-2003.
Property of a London based academic, 2003-present.
Literature
Cf. Tinius, I., Altägypten in Braunschweig. Die Sammlungen des Herzog Anton Ulrich-Museums und des Städtischen Museums, Wiesbaden, 2011, p.107, no. 161, for a similar example from Aswan.
Footnotes
Osiris is a deity who represents death and fertility and is commonly regarded as the quintessential god of rebirth. Though he was once a mortal ruler, as a deceased entity, his domain was the Underworld. Abydos was the primary centre of Osiris’ cult, where a renowned yearly celebration of the god was held.
CONDITIONVETTING:
TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.
RELATED LOTS
-
Egyptian Multi-Stranded Faience Mummy Bead Necklace
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £234
Multi-stranded designer necklace composed of beads of mainly annular and tubular types. 21 grams, 72 cm long
Acquired before 1979. From the private collection of Mr F.A., South Kensington, London, UK; thence by descent 2014.
For thousands of years, artisans in Egypt created vibrant ceramics to echo the beauty of rare jewels. These ornaments were created with almost every material, colour, and texture imaginable and they come from across Egypt and beyond: vibrant blue lapis lazuli from Afghanistan, glossy black obsidian from Turkey, and aqua-green turquoise from the Sinai. They were worn in life and, after death, they served as precious ornamentation for mummies. -
Egyptian Silver Cat Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £390
Modelled seated on a tongue-shaped base, with facial detailing and suspension loop to the back. 1.57 grams, 12 mm
From an early 20th century collection.
The cat was sacred to Bastet, a protective mother goddess and the daughter of the sun god Re. Amulets provided the wearer with the goddess's protection. -
Egyptian Faience Mummy Beadwork Mask with Sons of Horus
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £416
A netted beadwork panel of annular and tubular glazed composition beads in blues, greens, black, cream and red-brown colours, depicting a mummy face mask with a false beard, a scarab with extended wings below, and beneath the 'Four Sons of Horus’, Duamutef, Qebehsenuef, Imsety, and Hapy joined together with areas of open netting of tubular examples; restrung with some later beads. 115 grams, 28.5 cm
Mariaud de Serres, Paris, 1990s.
Winged scarabs were often used as funerary amulets, and were believed to symbolise the rebirth and regeneration of the deceased. The Four Sons of Horus were deities responsible for protecting the deceased's internal organs. The jackal-headed Duamutef protected the stomach, the falcon-headed Qebehsenuef protected the intestines, the human-headed Imsety protected the liver, and the baboon-headed Hapy protected the lungs. These internal organs were often placed in canopic jars, each with the head of the respective Son of Horus. Amulets depicting these deities were placed within the mummy wrappings.
