Bronze Osiris Figure, ca. 300 BC
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GUEST:
It belongs to my mother. She purchased it at an auction, I believe, in England in the early to mid-1950s. And I believe it came with a certificate from the Blanchard stating that it was the god Osiris from the Karnak Temple in northern Egypt.
APPRAISER:
It's a bronze sculpture. It is Osiris, and he is the god of the underworld. And he's showing his insignia, which is the flail and the crook. He's wearing the white Atef plumed crown, which typifies Osiris, and he's actually shown here in his mummified form. The work is from what we would call the Late Period in Egypt, which would be after 600 BC. This is probably about 300 BC. And it would have been placed in a tomb to help the person in his afterlife. And unfortunately, he's missing the bottom half of his person. And the label on the front is really quite interesting, because Ralph Blanchard was a very famous dealer in Cairo from about 1893 till about 1919, I believe. The figure does have some condition problems-- the white you see here, and the greeny color. It looks fairly attractive, because one associates that sort of patina with early pieces, but, in fact, it is bronze disease. It's relatively easy to treat. You need to go to a professional restorer to do this, and it needs to be taken care of.
GUEST:
Is that right?
APPRAISER:
Yes.
GUEST:
Okay, because I had always liked the color there, and I didn't want to change it there, but if it...
APPRAISER:
Right, it does need some attention. In perfect condition, it would be probably between $3,000 and $4,000. Without his bottom half, probably about $2,000.
GUEST:
Okay. Thank you.
Appraisal Details
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