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Seated Figure of Isis Holding Horus on Her Knees

Culture Egyptian
Title Seated Figure of Isis Holding Horus on Her Knees
Date 664–525 BCE
Medium Bronze and gold
Dimensions Object: 10 7/8 × 6 1/2 in. (27.6 × 16.5 cm)
Overall: 10 7/8 × 6 1/2 in. (27.6 × 16.5 cm)
Credit Line Burton Y. Berry Collection, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University
Accession Number 69.135.6

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About this Work

Osiris, Isis, and their child, Horus, were three of the major Egyptian deities. Osiris became the god of the underworld and the protector of the dead. Isis was known to protect all those in need, especially mothers and children. Horus was also a protector of the living and was known as god of the sky. This statuette of Isis nursing her son illustrates the maternal aspect of the goddess. This composition was popular in the Late Dynastic period and continued to appear under Greco-Roman rule. The popularity of the cult of Isis, in fact, spread throughout the Roman Empire. Note that inlaid eyes enliven the bronze figure and that Isis wears a gold necklace.


Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Seated Figure of Isis Holding Horus on Her Knees | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=69.135.6