A Polychrome Faience Shabti

$1,509.24

An Egyptian mummiform, polychrome shabti featuring a molded face made from red faience wearing a tripartite wig, painted black. Additional details have been added in black pigment, including the broad collar and tools carried in each hand. The shabti’s hands have been molded from red faience. He clasps onto a pair of hoes and two water pots can be seen suspended from cords from the shoulders. To the reverse, a trapezoid bag hangs in the centre of his back. A broad column of hieroglyphs decorates the main body. A black cross-shaped sign can be found on the base of the feet, most likely a maker’s mark.

The band of hieroglyphs, written in black pigment reads:

Sḥḏ wsir, Ḳny

Translated as:

The Illuminated one Osiris, Kheny

Date: Circa 1292 BC - 1189 BC, 19th Dynasty
Period: New Kingdom
Provenance: Previously ex London, Collector Antiquities, 2007. Previously ex Art Ancient collection.
Condition: Very fine. Professional repairs to the dorsal pillar and base.

SOLD

SKU: AH-648 Category: Tags: ,

Shabtis (or Ushabtis) were figurines in mummified form, which were placed in Egyptian tombs to perform any manual labour, required by the deceased in the afterlife, hence the tools often carried by the Shabti. Shabti dolls are the most numerous type of artefact to survive from ancient Egypt (besides scarabs). As noted, they were found in the tombs of people from all classes of society, poorest to most wealthy and commoner to king.

To find out more about Egyptian Shabtis please see our relevant blog post: How Ancient Egyptian Shabtis and Funerary Statuettes Watched over the Dead.

Weight 157.1 g
Dimensions W 5 x H 14.7 cm
Country

Culture

Faience

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Egyptian Mythology

Region