Flail attachment
Ptolemaic or Roman Period
This fragment is probably from a flail, perhaps part of a large Osiris statuette or statue. The statue itself was probably made out of wood but then incorporated bronze elements like this fragment, a common technique for high prestige, large, and costly cult images. Because this type of mixed media construction was commonly used, pieces such as these, even in their fragmented state, provide excellent clues about the appearance of large-scale temple statuary made from organic materials, much of which is now degraded and lost. Traces of multi-colored glass inlay speak to the quality and craftsmanship of the original piece.
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