Lot 2
Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic period, ca. 664 to 30 BCE. A lovely depiction of the god of the underworld Osiris, hand-carved from dark green serpentine. Seated atop a throne, the ancient deity is depicted as mummified, with his hands emerging from his wrappings to hold his scepter, shepherd's crook, and flail, all together representative of kingship and demonstrative of his close connection with the pharaoh and his role as Ruler of the Dead. His long, braided beard is done in the style of a chin strap, and he wears the atef crown-a variation of the "white crown" of Upper Egypt flanked by plumes with an uraeus or rearing cobra. Size: 1.5" W x 6.5" H (3.8 cm x 16.5 cm); 7.9" H (20.1 cm) on included custom stand.
Osiris was considered to be the first king of Egypt and was representative of the human civilization and divine order. He was murdered by his brother Seth, who was representative of the power of the world and uncivilized nature, and then magically resurrected by Isis, which is why he is often depicted as a mummy with kingly attributes, as seen here. The god of the underworld was venerated as the lord and judge of the afterworld and the embodiment of the nature that died and resurrected every year (shallowing of the Nile, horning of the Moon, sprouting of seeds, etc).
Cf. Walters Museum, 22.184 and Art Institute of Chicago, 1910.244.
Provenance: private Orange, California, USA collection, by descent from the noted Egyptian antiquarian Philip Mitry, who emigrated from Egypt to the US in 1951
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#174561
- Condition: Age-expected surface wear as shown with minor chips, nicks, and abrasions, all commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with impressively preserved detail. Old collection label on verso.
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