Statue of Isis or of a priestess of Isis

The black marble body was completed by a head, arms and legs made of white marble. Black stone was deliberately chosen for statues of Isis Melanephoros (black-robed Isis) and her priestesses. The subject of Isis became popular in Greek sculpture when Egypt became a Roman province in the 1st century B.C. From there on, mystery cults mixing Grec-Roman and Egyptian mythology spread across the Roman Empire. Isis was particulary celebrated, and her figure was often associated with Aphordite. That is why statues of Isis may be found in Greece and in Italy.该雕像的躯干以黑色大理石打造，头部、手臂与腿部则采用白色大理石制成。制作伊希斯·梅拉内弗罗斯斯（Isis Melanephoros，黑袍伊西斯）及其女祭司的雕像时，创作者会特意选用黑色石材。公元前1世纪埃及沦为罗马行省后，伊希斯主题在希腊雕塑中逐渐流行开来。自此之后，融合希腊-罗马与埃及神话的神秘崇拜教派传遍整个罗马帝国。伊希斯备受推崇，其形象常与阿芙洛狄忒（Aphrodite）相关联。这也正是为何在希腊与意大利境内均能发现伊希斯雕像的原因。