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Back to marble statues
Copyright © 2008 AncientSculptureGallery.com. All rights reserved.
Marble statue of Isis from Halikarnassos
Museum: Archaeological Museum, Istanbul, Turkey
Date: 2nd century
Period: Hellenistic - Roman Imperial
Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and is celebrated in their mythology as the ideal
mother and wife, patron of nature and magic; friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, the downtrodden, as well
as listening to the prayers of the wealthy, maidens, aristocrats. and rulers. Cultures leaving evidence of
religious beliefs in images, existed in many parts of what became unified as Ancient Egypt for almost
10,000 years. The myths about deities changed over time during the thousands of years of Egyptian
culture. Records exist that go back to approximately 3,000 B.C. Many are graphic and some are written in
one of two scripts that have been deciphered. The worship of Isis eventually spread throughout the
Graeco-Roman world, continuing until the suppression of paganism in the Christian era.
Following the conquest of Egypt by Alexander of Macedon the worship of Isis spread throughout the
Graeco-Roman world. Tacitus writes that after Julius Caesar's assassination, a temple in honour of Isis
had been decreed; Augustus suspended this, and tried to turn Romans back to the Roman deities who
were closely associated with the state. Eventually the Roman emperor Caligula abandoned the Augustan
wariness toward what was described as oriental cults, and it was in his reign that the Isiac festival was
established in Rome. According to Josephus, Caligula donned female garb and took part in the mysteries
he instituted, and in the Hellenistic age Isis acquired a "new rank as a leading goddess of the
Mediterranean world." Vespasian, along with Titus, practised incubation in the Roman Iseum. Domitian
built another Iseum along with a Serapeum. Trajan appears before Isis and Horus, presenting them with
votive offerings of wine, in a bas-relief on his triumphal arch in Rome. Hadrian decorated his villa at Tibur
with Isaic scenes. Galerius regarded Isis as his protectress. Roman perspectives on cults were syncretic,
seeing in new deities, merely local aspects of a familiar one. For many Romans, Egyptian Isis was an
aspect of Phrygian Cybele, whose orgiastic rites were long-naturalized at Rome, indeed, she was known
as Isis of Ten Thousand Names. Among these names of Roman Isis, Queen of Heaven is outstanding for
its long and continuous history. Herodotus identified Isis with the Greek and Roman goddesses of
agriculture, Demeter and Ceres.
The sculpture is identical reproduction of the original ancient masterpiece, now housed by the prominent
museum. The statue is composed from mold made from the original, thus guaranteeing the highest
accuracy of identical reproduction. The reproduction pictured here is made of cast marble, and is
extremely heavy and strong, having a real ancient feel. An ancient patina finishing gives it an additional
historical value (you can choose not to have patina applied and keep it all white if you like). The statue can
be displayed both inside and out, it is weatherproofed.
Item No. S013
Dimensions: height 31 cm (12.2")
$199.00
Museum: Archaeological Museum, Istanbul, Turkey
Date: 2nd century
Period: Hellenistic - Roman Imperial
Isis is a goddess in Ancient Egyptian religious beliefs and is celebrated in their mythology as the ideal
mother and wife, patron of nature and magic; friend of slaves, sinners, artisans, the downtrodden, as well
as listening to the prayers of the wealthy, maidens, aristocrats. and rulers. Cultures leaving evidence of
religious beliefs in images, existed in many parts of what became unified as Ancient Egypt for almost
10,000 years. The myths about deities changed over time during the thousands of years of Egyptian
culture. Records exist that go back to approximately 3,000 B.C. Many are graphic and some are written in
one of two scripts that have been deciphered. The worship of Isis eventually spread throughout the
Graeco-Roman world, continuing until the suppression of paganism in the Christian era.
Following the conquest of Egypt by Alexander of Macedon the worship of Isis spread throughout the
Graeco-Roman world. Tacitus writes that after Julius Caesar's assassination, a temple in honour of Isis
had been decreed; Augustus suspended this, and tried to turn Romans back to the Roman deities who
were closely associated with the state. Eventually the Roman emperor Caligula abandoned the Augustan
wariness toward what was described as oriental cults, and it was in his reign that the Isiac festival was
established in Rome. According to Josephus, Caligula donned female garb and took part in the mysteries
he instituted, and in the Hellenistic age Isis acquired a "new rank as a leading goddess of the
Mediterranean world." Vespasian, along with Titus, practised incubation in the Roman Iseum. Domitian
built another Iseum along with a Serapeum. Trajan appears before Isis and Horus, presenting them with
votive offerings of wine, in a bas-relief on his triumphal arch in Rome. Hadrian decorated his villa at Tibur
with Isaic scenes. Galerius regarded Isis as his protectress. Roman perspectives on cults were syncretic,
seeing in new deities, merely local aspects of a familiar one. For many Romans, Egyptian Isis was an
aspect of Phrygian Cybele, whose orgiastic rites were long-naturalized at Rome, indeed, she was known
as Isis of Ten Thousand Names. Among these names of Roman Isis, Queen of Heaven is outstanding for
its long and continuous history. Herodotus identified Isis with the Greek and Roman goddesses of
agriculture, Demeter and Ceres.
The sculpture is identical reproduction of the original ancient masterpiece, now housed by the prominent
museum. The statue is composed from mold made from the original, thus guaranteeing the highest
accuracy of identical reproduction. The reproduction pictured here is made of cast marble, and is
extremely heavy and strong, having a real ancient feel. An ancient patina finishing gives it an additional
historical value (you can choose not to have patina applied and keep it all white if you like). The statue can
be displayed both inside and out, it is weatherproofed.
Item No. S013
Dimensions: height 31 cm (12.2")
$199.00
