Statuette of Osiris-Iah
Late Period, Dynasty 26–30, about 664–332 BCE
Medium
Copper alloy
Dimensions
15 × 7 × 5.5 cm (5 7/8 × 2 3/4 × 2 1/8 in.)
Classification
statuette
Department
Arts of Africa
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
120298
Rights
Public Domain
About this artwork
According to the Egyptian religion, gods could combine with each other to form composite deities. The complex crown of this bronze statuette has characteristics of the god Osiris, as well as the ibis-headed moon god Thoth. This statuette was dedicated to the god by a man named Pamu.
About the Artist
Ancient Egyptian
Ancient Egyptian artists, a collective of highly skilled artisans spanning over three millennia from the Predynastic period (c. 6000–3150 BC) to the Roman era (30 BC–4th century AD), produced some of humanity's most enduring masterpieces. These anonymous craftsmen, often organized in state-sponsored workshops, lived in dedicated communities like Deir el-Medina near Luxor during the New Kingdom (c....