<em>Mummiform Figure of Osiris</em>, 664-332 B.C.E. Wood, pigment, 25 3/4 x 7 x 11 in. (65.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1481E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.1481E_front_PS2.jpg)

Mummiform Figure of Osiris, 664-332 B.C.E. Wood, pigment, 25 3/4 x 7 x 11 in. (65.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1481E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.1481E_front_PS2.jpg)

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What is this?

This sculpture shows a Mummiform Figure of Osiris. Osiris was a legendary king of Egypt.

According to Egyptian myth, he was murdered by his brother Seth and magically restored to life by his sister-wife Isis, assisted by their sister Nephthys. Because he had died he could no longer rule on earth, and so became the Lord of the Dead, ruling in the netherworld. All kings were believed to become Osiris after they died and he was a popular figure to be included in tombs in the hope of a successful journey to his land of the dead. He was often depicted wrapped in mummy bandages, holding a flail—based on a fly-whisk—and a crook, which was the hieroglyphic sign for heka, meaning ruler or scepter.

Tell me more.

This mummiform statue of Osiris is a great example of how colorful Egyptian statues were! The god Osiris was the king of the afterlife which is why he's often shown as a mummy.

Mummiform Figure of Osiris

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

The inscription identifies this figure as Osiris. He wears the crown of ostrich feathers, a sun-disk, and the ram’s horns that identify him as a king. Yet he is also in the form of a mummy with the curled beard worn by the dead.

The figure stands on a hollow base. Originally, a papyrus with a spell written on it was stored in the base. When this figure and papyrus were placed in the tomb, the deceased enjoyed the protection of Osiris and of the spell.

MEDIUM Wood, pigment

Place Made: Egypt

DATES 664-332 B.C.E.

PERIOD Late Period

DIMENSIONS 25 3/4 x 7 x 11 in. (65.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm) (show scale)

INSCRIPTIONS "A recitation by Osiris, presides over the Westerners, good god (lord of Ro)-setan, may he grant..."

COLLECTIONS Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

MUSEUM LOCATION This item is not on view

EXHIBITIONS

ACCESSION NUMBER 37.1481E

CREDIT LINE Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

RIGHTS STATEMENT Creative Commons-BY

You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.

CAPTION Mummiform Figure of Osiris, 664-332 B.C.E. Wood, pigment, 25 3/4 x 7 x 11 in. (65.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1481E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.1481E_front_PS2.jpg)

IMAGE front, 37.1481E_front_PS2.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph, 2006

"CUR" at the beginning of an image file name means that the image was created by a curatorial staff member. These study images may be digital point-and-shoot photographs, when we don\'t yet have high-quality studio photography, or they may be scans of older negatives, slides, or photographic prints, providing historical documentation of the object.

CATALOGUE DESCRIPTION Base and figure are of a hard wood; pedestal is of a softer wood.

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Download our app and ask your own questions during your visit. Here are some that others have asked.

What is this?

This sculpture shows a Mummiform Figure of Osiris. Osiris was a legendary king of Egypt.

Tell me more.

This mummiform statue of Osiris is a great example of how colorful Egyptian statues were! The god Osiris was the king of the afterlife which is why he's often shown as a mummy.

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Mummiform Figure of Osiris

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

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Mummiform Figure of Osiris

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

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