This gallery contains various portrayals of the Egyptian God, Osiris, in sculptures, reliefs, and other similar mediums. Osiris is the God of Death and the Afterlife, but he is also the God of Life and Resurrection.
Standing Osiris Figure, Unknown, Late Period - Ptolemaic Period (664 - 30 BCE), probably 26th - 31st Dynasty (664 - 332 BCE), From the collection of: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Standing Osiris Figure is a bronze statue of the commonly depicted version of the god Osiris. One of the more well defined aspects of this piece is the crook and flail being held by Osiris, which symbolize kingship and fertility among the Pharaohs. The carved lines in the beard draw the attention of the viewer and bring them towards the center of the statue, which play off of the detail in the crook and flail.
Coffin of Pedi-Osiris, Egyptian, 305 BC–AD 30, From the collection of: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Coffin of Pedi-Osiris is a Pharaoh coffin engraved and painted with various symbols that represent Osiris and various other Gods. The face and headpiece of the coffin is that of Osiris, to have him help lead the deceased through the underworld. On the coffin, you see various jewelry and gems painted on to represent the owners wealth in the afterlife. The bright blues and greens in the coffin jewelry draw the viewers eyes down the coffin away from the bright gold face at the top of the coffin.
Painted wooden figure of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, -332/-31, From the collection of: British Museum
The Painted wooden figure of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris depicts Osiris standing on a wooden coffin across from the God, Sokar, while Sokar is in his falcon form. Sokar is known to also deal with the underworld and afterlife. The gold plated face, dark blue wig, and garland collar were symbolic of Osiris and his role in leading the deceased to be resurrected. The coffin also has little boats painted all over it, which is how the ancient Egyptians believed the deceased traveled over to the spirit world.
Statue of Isis protecting Osiris, -590/-530, From the collection of: British Museum
The Statue of Isis protecting Osiris is a siltstone statue engraved with rich detail in the subjects faces and beautiful reliefs along the pedestal. Isis is the wife of Osiris, and is the Goddess of Marriage, Health, and Wisdom. Here she is shown to be twice the size of Osiris, with her wings spread around Osiris in a protective manner. While the viewers eyes are initially drawn to the detail in her face and head piece, her wings help to bring the eye down to the reliefs that line the pedestals Isis and Osiris stand on.
Head of the God Osiris, Unknown, 305-30 B.C.E., From the collection of: Brooklyn Museum
The Head of the God Osiris is one of the more detailed facial pieces of Osiris created. Created with wood and bronze, his beard, Scarab Beetle on headpiece, and eyeliner around his eyes are a dark green-brown, causing a strike contrast between the red-brown color of the rest of the piece. These create focal centers for the eyes, and helps break up the uniformity of the piece, causing the viewer to focus on smaller details.
Headless seated statue of the God Osiris , XXVI Dynasty (late period) – Saitic age (from Sais, capital city of the ancient Egypt, 672-525 bC), From the collection of: Museo di Scultura Antica Giovanni Barracco
The Headless seated statue of the God Osiris is a beautiful combination of sculpture and reliefs. Osiris is depicted as sitting down with his famous crook and flail crossed across his chest. These are the most prominent points in the piece, due to their detail on the handles. The curvature of the legs sitting down draw the viewers eyes to the reliefs that are on the pedestal underneath the sitting Osiris.
Standing Osiris Figure, Unknown, Late Period - Roman Period (711 BCE - 150 CE), From the collection of: Los Angeles County Museum of Art
The Standing Osiris Figure is a beautiful bronze figure that was used in jewelry. This figure is only 3 inches tall, which makes the detailing on the headpiece and face all the more impressive. As this piece has aged, it has become a light blue-green color, which makes certain facial structures such as the nose and eye sockets stand out in contrast to the rest of the smooth surfaces along the piece.
Figure of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris, Egyptian, 300 BC - 30 BC, From the collection of: The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
The Figure of Ptah-Sokar-Osiris is a funeral figure made of wood adorned with gold and polychrome. The figures dark face and wig create a stark contrast to the bright gold and various patterns that make up the rest of the piece.The body of the figure is covered with paintings of various Gods, Goddesses, and powerful figures in ancient society. The legs are covered in hieroglyphics.
The Statuette of Osiris is a small bronze statue, standing at only four inches tall. The eyes, nose, mouth, and chin piece are the most well defined aspects of this piece, causing them to be the focal points. The viewers eyes start at the top of the figure and focus on the facial structures and headpiece before moving on to the flail and crook held by the statue. The rest of the piece is very smooth and lacks sharp detail like that found in the face.
Ptah-Sokaris-Osiris Figure, 4th-3rd centuries B.C., From the collection of: Museum of Fine Arts, Budapest
The Ptah-Solaris-Osiris is a wooden figure standing at about 2 and a half inches tall. The headpiece is the most detailed part of this piece, and stands out due to its size, color, and linear shaping. The lines along the side of the headpiece draw the viewers eyes to the golden disc in the center of the headpiece. This then leads the viewers eyes to the golden faceplate and wig. Looking further down the figure, various hieroglyphics and figures have been painted onto the body from the chin all the way down to the feet.
Credits: All media
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