'Vatican Naophorous'Sais; Egypt.XXVII Persian dynasty; reign of Darius (521-486 B.C.)Basalt; height 58 cm; width 12.5 cm; depth 27.5 cminv. 22690The statue; already known in the seventeenth century as the 'Vatican Naophorous'; depicts a figure named Udjahorresnet holding a naos bearing the image of Osiris. Udjahorresnet has the titles of chief physician; treasurer of the king of Lower Egypt and commander of the king's fleet. Indeed; he lived between the end of Dynasty XXVI and the beginning of XXVII during the period in which Egypt became a Persian satrapy. In the inscription carved on his long robe; he describes the Achaemenid kings as respectful towards Egyptian tradition; presenting an image of the Persian occupation contrary to what we find in Greek sources; which are strongly influenced by anti-Persian propaganda.The exact provenance of this statue is unknown; but it is assumed to have been found in the city of Sais in the Nile Delta. It was acquired without the head in 1738 and restored in 1783; with the addition of a non-pertinent head; subsequently removed.Vatican Museums (Gregorian Egyptian Museum) 2018