Mummiform Figure of Osiris
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Object Label
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.
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)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Mummiform Figure of Osiris
Date
664–332 B.C.E.
Period
Late Period
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Wood, pigment
Classification
Dimensions
25 3/4 x 7 x 11 in. (65.4 x 17.8 x 27.9 cm)
Inscriptions
"A recitation by Osiris, presides over the Westerners, good god (lord of Ro)-setau, may he grant..."
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
37.1481E
Rights
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.
Frequent Art Questions
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.I am Foster. I am five years old. What is this thing?
It's a sculpture of the god Osiris. Osiris is King of the Dead. He has a crown on his head made of ostrich feathers, a circle called a sun disk, and ram's horns.According to Ancient Egyptian religion, Osiris was the first person to be mummified.Wow! That's cool!It is! You'll see Osiris (sometimes with different crowns on) all over our Mummy Chamber. He's a pretty important Egyptian god. He's usually bundled up in cloth like a mummy, and sometimes has green skin!
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