Lot 4A
Egypt, New Kingdom, Second to Third Intermediate Period, 19th to 22nd Dynasty, ca. 1292 to 716 BCE. A stunning ancient Egyptian tricolor faience shabti with a vibrant periwinkle/violet-blue tripartite wig, blush-crimson hued skin, and a milky white mummiform body with traditionally crossed hands. A special example with finely executed details, a striking color palette, and a lustrous finish. Custom stand. Size: 5.25" H (13.3 cm); 7.375" H (18.7 cm) on included custom stand.
Shabtis were first introduced in the Middle Kingdom as substitutes for the the mummy in case it was destroyed. During the Second Intermediate Period inscribed wooden figures called shawabtis (after the Egyptian word for wood, shawab) began to be placed in tombs. During the New Kingdom, shabtis assumed a new role as servant figures for the deceased. They were now depicted with agricultural equipment. By the Third Intermediate Period, the number of shabtis placed in the tomb was set at 401 (365 workers and 36 overseers). During the Late Period the tomb figures became known as ushabtis ('answerers'), these figures represented servants who would magically answer when called upon to perform agricultural duties for the Pharaoh (in the form of Osiris) in the afterlife. Their main function was to ensure individual's comfort and freedom from daily labor in the next life.
The ancient Egyptians believed that after they died, their spirits would have to work in the "Field of Reeds" owned by the god of the underworld, Osiris. This meant doing agricultural labor which was required by all members of society, from pedestrian workers to elite pharaohs. The wealthier nobility of Egyptian society possessed the means to have shabtis made of faience; blue faience, as we see coloring the tripartite wig of this example, was meant to reflect the color of the river Nile both on earth and in the afterlife.
Provenance: Formerly in a Virginia private collection; previously S. Rose Rich collection, Connecticut, acquired 1950-1970.
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#127981
- Condition: Repaired break across waist, no restoration or repainting. Some deposits on surface, but finish is remarkably well preserved overall.
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