Egyptian Faience Shabti for Nes-ankh-ef-(en)-maat, Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, ca. 1069 - 945 BCE

Intended to perform work for the deceased, this mummiform shabti modeled in blue-green faience, wears a plain tripartite wig with a black-painted seshed headband tied at the back. The serene face is simply modeled with  black features and prominent eyes. The crossed arms grasp a pair of agricultural hoes and a square-hatched seed basket hangs at the back, indicating his role as a worker shabti who would magically undertake agricultural labors in the Field of Reeds on behalf of his owner. A single vertical column of hieroglyphs runs down the front that reads “The Osiris, the Priest of Amen, Nes-ankh-ef-(en)-maat, justified.”  The double-use of “Osiris” and “justified” signal his successful passage into the afterlife, while his priestly office underscores close ties to the Theban temple establishment, the true custodians of power during this politically fractured age.

Comparanda: Bolton Museum (A.75.1967, A.22.1968); Ashmolean Museum Oxford (1971.1419); Carnegie Museum of Natural History, Pittsburgh (CMNH 1662–7); World Museum Liverpool (M14108); Glenn James, Shabtis: A Private View, Paris 2002, figs. 48a–b; Glenn Janes, The Shabti Collections, vol. 5, Manchester Museum, 2012, no. 131. 

Excavated at Abydos by the Egyptian Exploration Society in 1900, this ushabti exemplifies the practice of elite Theban priests commissioning Abydene burials or cenotaphs to secure a connection with Osiris. The cobalt-blue glaze seen here is noticeably deeper than other known examples for this owner, which typically show a lighter turquoise tone.

Medium:  Faience

Dimensions:  Height:  5 7/8 inches (15 cm)

Condition:  There is some visible loss to the feet, along with minor surface wear and deposits consistent with age.  Otherwise intact and in very good condition overall with strong color.

Provenance:  Thilo and Izora Steinschulte private collection, VA, acquired in 1980 from Christie’s, New York, NY, Lot 134, then by descent. Originally excavated by the Egypt Exploration Society at Abydos in 1900.  Accompanied by a copy of the original collector's paperwork.

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