Osiris Figurine

after 305 B.C.E.

Mummiform figurines like this one usually represent a combination of the gods Ptah and Sokar with Osiris. The two other gods were combined with Osiris during the last millennium of Egyptian culture, merging solar and afterlife beliefs into one deity. The hollow compartment on the base of the statuette held a papyrus containing protective spells from the Book of the Dead, a group of texts that helped ensure the deceased person’s success in the afterlife. The green face is a symbol of fertility, regeneration, and rebirth.