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Statue of Osiris, Ruler of Eternity

Third Intermediate Period
945–721 BCE
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 123
The statue offers a compelling image of the god Osiris, both distant and immediate, shrouded in form, yet vividly present. While the contours of the body are only subtly indicated, creating a clean and restrained silhouette, the face is rendered with remarkable detail. The simplicity of Osiris’s veiled form thus stands in deliberate contrast to the serene and striking face, inviting contemplation of the god’s dual nature as both hidden and revealed, remote and present.

Likely dating to the early first millennium BCE, it was crafted during a period when Osiris’s role expanded significantly, and smaller shrines dedicated to his cult began appearing within and beyond major cult centers. The choice of wood here is particularly fitting for such contexts, as it allowed for more immediate devotional access without reliance on difficult-to-procure resources or temple and royal workshops.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Statue of Osiris, Ruler of Eternity
  • Period: Third Intermediate Period
  • Date: 945–721 BCE
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Wood, jasper, obsidian, bone, clinochlore, Egyptian blue, probably modern glass and blue inlays
  • Dimensions: H. 108 × W. 33 × D. 30.5 cm, 13.2 kg (42 1/2 × 13 × 12 in., 29 lb.)
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Liana Weindling Bequest, Lila Acheson Wallace Gift and Mary Trumbull Adams Fund, 2025
  • Object Number: 2025.679
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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