Ancient Egyptian, Third Intermediate Period, Blue Faience Shabti
£ 175.00
An Ancient Egyptian light blue faience shabti of a mummified form. The figure is depicted in the typical pose with arms folded across the chest. They are shown holding a hoe in one hand and a basket over the other shoulder, both rendered in black pigment. Such equipment were characteristics of ‘worker’ shabtis, included in burials to provide labour in the afterlife. The figure wears a tripartite wig, with a thick fillet rendered in black pigment across the forehead and tied at the back. The detailing of the face, modelled in relief, has now been worn, though the facial features are still distinguishable. The shabti has been repaired horizontally across the middle.
Date: Circa 1069-525 BC
Period: Third Intermediate Period
Provenance: Acquired on the London art market, 1970s.
Condition: Fine condition. The shabti has a visible repair line through the middle. Signs of wear as consistent with age, such as earthy encrustations and discolouration to the surface.
In stock
Shabtis (or ushabtis) were figurines in mummified form, which were placed in Egyptian tombs to do any work required by the deceased in the afterlife. They could be inscribed with a special formula (Shabti formula), which would call them to life when recited. Sometimes shabtis were also inscribed with passages from the Book of the Dead, the intention of which was to secure safety for the deceased in the afterlife. Within the Third Intermediate Period the requisite number of shabtis was 401. The increase in number usually meant a decrease in size and quality. They also become known an ushabtis (answerers) during this time. If a formula was present it is usually only short, including the Osiris epithet, name and title of the deceased.
To discover more about Egyptian shabtis, please visit our relevant blog post: How Ancient Egyptian Shabtis and Funerary Statuettes Watched Over the Dead.
