Late Period, 26th Dynasty, c. 664–525 BC
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen

This statue depicts Anubis, the jackal-headed god closely associated with 𝘮𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 and the afterlife. One of the most iconic deities of ancient Egypt, Anubis is shown seated, embodying his protective and funerary role.

Anubis was one of the most important deities in ancient Egyptian religion, associated with mummification and the afterlife. Usually depicted as a man with the head of a black jackal, Anubis was believed to guide souls through the journey of death and protect their bodies in the tomb.

He oversaw the embalming process and was the guardian of cemeteries. In the famous “Weighing of the Heart” ceremony described in the Book of the Dead, Anubis weighed the hearts of the deceased against the feather of Ma’at, the goddess of truth, to determine their fate in the afterlife. His role as a protector and judge made him a powerful symbol of both death and justice in Egyptian mythology.