Egyptian shabti with hieroglyphics

Egyptian shabti with hieroglyphics
ITEM: Shabti with hieroglyphics
MATERIAL: Faience
CULTURE: Egyptian
PERIOD: Late period, 664 - 332 B.C
DIMENSIONS: 101 mm x 26 mm
CONDITION: Good condition
PROVENANCE: Ex French private collection, collector and antiquity dealer, acquired throughout this time from different collections and auctions.

Comes with Certificate of Authenticity and Export Licence. If you are from outside the European Union, we will have to apply for the export licence again for your country, this takes 3 to 5 weeks and has a cost of 5% of the hammer price, this amount will be added to the final invoice.

Egyptian shabtis (or ushabtis) were small funerary figurines placed in tombs to serve the deceased in the afterlife. Their use became widespread during the Middle Kingdom (c. 2000 BCE) and continued through the Ptolemaic period. Typically made from materials such as faience, wood, stone, or pottery, shabtis were often inscribed with a version of Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead, which commanded them to perform agricultural or laborious tasks on behalf of the deceased. The name shabti is thought to derive from the Egyptian word for "answerer, " as these figures were meant to respond when called upon to work in the afterlife.

The number of shabtis in a burial varied over time. Early examples were singular or limited, but by the New Kingdom (c. 1550–1070 BCE), tombs could contain hundreds of them, sometimes arranged in groups corresponding to the days of the year, with additional overseer figures. These figurines were commonly depicted holding agricultural tools such as hoes and seed bags, reinforcing their role as laborers in the afterlife’s fields. Royal and elite burials often had elaborately decorated shabtis with finely carved inscriptions, while more modest burials contained simpler versions.

Shabtis not only reflect Egyptian religious beliefs about the afterlife but also provide insight into changes in funerary practices over time. Their evolution from singular servant figures to large sets suggests an increasing concern with ensuring a well-provided afterlife. As Egyptian culture came into contact with foreign influences, such as during the Late Period and Ptolemaic rule, shabti designs incorporated elements from Greek and other traditions, yet their function remained tied to the ancient Egyptian concept of the afterlife as a place of eternal work and reward.

Measurement:

2.6 x 10.1 cm