Isis
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Object Label
Some elements of Egyptian art were susceptible to frequent change, but others were bound by tradition. The style of garments shown on statues, for example, changed with fashion trends, but a sculptural form, once perfected, tended to be reproduced for thousands of years.
This statue depicts the elaborate garments favored by the aristocracy in the first century C.E. Although the clothing style of this statue differs from earlier pharaonic ones, the basic poses are identical.
Caption
Isis, 1st century C.E.. Basalt, 38 1/2 × 15 × 13 in., 231 lb. (97.8 × 38.1 × 33 cm, 104.78kg) mount (dimensions as installed): 40 × 15 × 13 in., 230 lb. (101.6 × 38.1 × 33 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 74.220. Creative Commons-BY
Title
Isis
Date
1st century C.E.
Period
Roman Period
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Basalt
Classification
Dimensions
38 1/2 × 15 × 13 in., 231 lb. (97.8 × 38.1 × 33 cm, 104.78kg) mount (dimensions as installed): 40 × 15 × 13 in., 230 lb. (101.6 × 38.1 × 33 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
74.220
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
How do u know this is a sculpture of a goddess? Why doesn't it have a head?
The head question is easy to answer, it simply broke off in the approximately 2000 years since the statue was created. The sculpture is identified as Isis because of the cornucopia she holds in her hand. This is an emblem of Isis in the Roman period. The way her garment is knotted is also specific to Isis. Isis worship remained popular into the Hellenistic and Roman periods and you'll see as you explore the gallery how imagery of her changed over time.I like this statue.
Though headless, she can be identified with the goddess Isis by her cornucopia and the knot in her garment. It is from the Roman period of Egypt's history. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, worship of Isis was popular both in and outside of Egypt.Why is the head missing?
The head broke off at some point in the statue's history. Since the neck is often a thin point in the sculpture, it's easier for it to break there than, say, the stomach. The same goes for hands and arms, for example.Tell me more.
Though headless, this figure can be identified with the goddess Isis by her cornucopia in her hand and the knot in her garment. This knot resembles the hieroglyph "tyt" which is also known as the "Isis knot" and is a symbol of her protection.It is from the Roman period of Egypt's history. In the Hellenistic and Roman periods, worship of Isis was popular both in and outside of Egypt.Which goddess is this?
The goddess in that headless statue is Isis, a major goddess with great power and a role model for wives and mothers.During this period, Egypt was under the rule of the Roman Empire which explains why Isis, an Egyptian goddess, is represented here in Roman style. The cornucopia in her hand and style of knot in her dress help to identify her.
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