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1st century A.D.
Bronze
Gift of The Morse Foundation
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Isis
According to a rich mythology surrounding the Egyptian goddess, Isis raised her husband, Osiris (oh-SIGH-rus), from the dead,
protected her son, Horus (HOR-us), from a variety of certain deaths, and knew the secrets of immortality. She was faithful,
intelligent, strong, and beautiful. Like Osiris, Isis was associated with vegetation and the cycles of the seasons and the Nile
River. Ancient beliefs attributed the annual rainfall, which sustained the people of the Nile Valley, to the tears Isis shed for
Osiris. (Learn more about Osiris in the Mummy Case of Lady Teshat)
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Detail of Osiris from the Mummy Case of Lady Teshat |
Romans in Egypt
Egypt, which had been under Greek rule for three centuries, was conquered by Rome in 30 B.C., and remained part of the Roman
Empire until 368 A.D. The Romans ruthlessly exacted money and resources from Egypt. The Roman rulers thrived at great expense to
the conquered Egyptians. Various factions of the Egyptian population mounted revolts against Roman rule, but these were all suppressed.
However, the Romans did not impose their official gods on the Egyptians, allowing the native religion to survive in a diluted form
during the centuries of Roman domination. People in Egypt and throughout the Mediterranean world sought hope and comfort through the
worship of the traditional Egyptian gods whose mythology embraced a central belief in life after deathOsiris, Isis, and their son,
Horus. |
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Roll over the image to see specific attributes from the Statuette of Isis |
Figures
In Egypt, people regularly left small bronze figures of deities at temples or funereal sites in order to attract the deity
represented. By offering a sculpture at a temple, one could pay homage to a god and hope to gain his or her favor and protection.
Statuette of Isis
This statuette of Isis dates to the 1st century A.D., when Rome ruled over Egypt; the artistic traditions of both cultures are
evident in its design. Traditional
ATTRIBUTES
identify Isisher crown, serpent,
AMULET,
and jug. Her stiff stance is characteristically Egyptian. The sculpture's naturalism, however, is characteristic of Roman Imperial
art; Isis's large eyes, broad upper lip, and rounded cheeks all give her face a portrait quality. Much of her gown is close-fitting,
revealing the solidly rounded form of her body underneath. Her gown falls loosely over her legs in graceful and realistically fluid folds.
Several aspects of the sculpture are symbolic
ATTRIBUTES
of Isis's identity and power. In her left hand Isis holds her magical dart-shaped
serpent, a reference to the power gained from her knowledge of Ra's secret name. In her right hand is a jug, presumably of sacred
water, associated with the power of magicians. Over a fabulous wig of cascading curls, Isis wears the combined crown of Upper and
Lower Egypt, indicating her dominion over both. At the base of her crown a vulture wraps its wings around her head, symbolizing her
protective powers. At her bust is a Tyt (tit) amulet, also known as an Isis-knot, a fertility
SYMBOL
and a reference to her life-giving powers.
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