Photo of collection object Shabti of Setau
Shabti of Setau, ca. 1352-1322 B.C.E.. Wood, pigment, 9 1/4 x 3 1/8 in. (23.5 x 8 cm). Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 48.26.3. Creative Commons-BY.

Shabti of Setau

ca. 1352-1322 B.C.E.

Maker Unknown

Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art

The Egyptians manufactured funerary figurines, originally called shabties, as early as Dynasty 12 (1932–1759 B.C.E.). The earliest shabties are inscribed with either the deceased’s name (see nos. 1 and 2) or a simple form of Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. The rarity and high quality of the early shabties suggest that they were costly items produced for privileged persons.

Later, Chapter 6 began appearing more frequently on funerary figurines. The text mentions that they do agricultural tasks for the dead person: irrigating the fields, cultivating crops, and clearing away sand that blew in from the nearby desert.

As substitutes for the deceased, these figurines were sometimes given their own sarcophagi (see no. 6). To emphasize the agricultural function of the figurines, hoes and grain baskets were added to them (no. 8).

Wood (nos. 9–11), stone (nos. 12–14, 16), faience (no. 17), metal, and other materials were used beginning in Dynasty 18. By the end of the New Kingdom, statuettes for a single person were often mold-made by the hundreds and even thousands. Faience became the medium of choice, first in blue and later in light green or light blue (nos. 17, 20, 21).
Maker/Artist
Maker Unknown
Classification
Funerary Object
Formatted Medium
Wood, pigment
Medium
wood, pigment
Locations
Place found: Thebes (Deir el-Medina), Egypt
Dimensions
9 1/4 x 3 1/8 in. (23.5 x 8 cm)
Accession Number
48.26.3
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Rights Statement
Creative Commons-BY
Dominant Colors

Have a concern, a correction, or something to add?

Similar Artworks

musefully

Open source Elasticsearch & Next.js museum search.

Let's Stay Connected