Human world
Height: 23cm
This is a bronze figure of Osiris, the Egyptian god of the underworld. It is a particularly fine example and has eyes inlaid with silver. Osiris is shown wearing the 'atef' crown with uraeus (cobra) and holding the flail and hook. He is also wearing a royal beard. The pedestal has a dedication on behalf of Tetebastiuesankh, daughter of Petekhons and Harbast. The statuette would have been donated to a temple by Tetebastiuesank who wanted to make an offering to a god.
Most bronze statues and figures date from the 26th Dynasty and after, as this one does. They are mostly of gods such as Osiris, or Isis suckling the baby Horus. Sacred animals, like cats and ibises, were also very popular. They were made using the lost wax technique. The figure was first modelled in wax and coated in clay. During the heating of the mould the wax would melt and was poured away leaving a perfect mould. The molten metal was then poured into the mould. Once it was cooled, the mould could be broken away and the metal figure trimmed and finished by the sculptor.
Gift of Joseph Mayer, 1867