Blue Faience Shabti with Vivid Black Hieroglyphs

$758.23

An Egyptian statuette of a shabti in bright blue faience with vivid black coloured hieroglyphics to the front and to the back. The statuette is in form of a mummy, displayed standing upright with both feet together and with hands crossed on the chest while holding a pair of A shaped hoes, tools necessary for agricultural work. This finely modelled shabti wears a tripartite wig, with locks of hair identified by incised lines.

Date: Circa 1200 - 800 BC
Period: New Kingdom - Third Intermediate Period
Condition: Very fine with some signs of aging on the surface

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SKU: FP-42 Category: Tags: , ,

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 were 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. Shabtis were mostly made of faience, but wood, bronze, and stone were also used – towards the Late Period, the number of shabtis inside the tomb increased, eventually allowing one for each day of the year.

 

Weight 500 g
Dimensions H 11 cm
Culture

Faience

Region

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