Osiris
Unknown Artist
664–30 B.C.
Medium
Cupreous metal
Dimensions
H. 13.8 cm (5 7/16 in.); W. 3.6 cm (1 7/16 in.); D. 5 cm (1 15/16 in.) H. (with tang): 15.7 cm (6 3/16 in.)
Classification
Statuette, Osiris
Period
Late Period–Ptolemaic Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of Darius Ogden Mills, 1904
Accession Number
04.2.579
Art Historical Context
Behold the enigmatic statuette of *Osiris*, the ancient Egyptian god of the underworld, resurrection, and eternal life. Crafted by an unknown artist during Egypt's Late Period to Ptolemaic era (664–30 B.C.), this petite figure stands just 13.8 cm tall, made from cupreous metal—a durable copper alloy prized for its luster and symbolic ties to divine vitality. Its slender form, complete with a tang for mounting on a base, suggests it served as a votive offering or personal amulet, invoking Osiris's protective powers in daily rituals or burials. In the turbulent centuries spanning native rule's ...