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Although not inscribed, this remarkably large
figure can be identified as a depiction of Osiris,
god of the Hereafter, on the basis of his costume
and attributes. That costume is designed as a
tightly-fitting garment, doubtless intended to
represent the fine linen bandages in which his
mummy was enveloped. A slit in the bandages
permits the god’s left hand to protrude so that
he can hold the flail, one of his traditional
attributes. The flail, used by ancient farmers for
the threshing of grain, associates Osiris with the
agricultural cycles of the land and reinforces his
authority as the lord of resurrection. Just as
wheat grows anew after a winter of dormancy,
so, too, will the deceased be resurrected in the
Hereafter.
The face of Osiris is characterized by idealizing
features consistent with the principle that he will
be physically fit and free of all physical defects
forever. A false beard, originally associated with
goats, is attached to his chin. By means of the
principles of sympathetic magic, the sexually
charged associations of the goat are
metaphorically transferred to Osiris. The White
Crown of Upper Egypt, his traditional headdress,
completes his costume and this is fronted by a
uraeus, or sacred cobra.
The scale and technique of our image of Osiris
suggests that it was created during the Third
Intermediate Period (Dynasty XXI-XXV), roughly
1000-650 B.C. The missing left arm was
apparently accidentally destroyed and not
restored in modern times.
Dr. Robert Steven Bianchi
- (LO.1037)
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