Lot 5A
Egypt, New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, ca. 1550 to 1293 BCE. An ancient Egyptian shabti, skillfully carved from a single piece of limestone and beautifully endowed with refined details. The mummiform figure's arms - with outlines painted in russet red hues - are traditionally crossed and hold a hoe and pick with a netted seed bag over the left shoulder. On the mummy wrappings covering the legs is a vertical column of text with four rows of black painted hieroglyphs over a yellow field. On the verso are four horizontal registers of hieroglyphs, the symbols delineated in black, the rows demarcated via fine red lines. We have all seen wonderful ushabtis, but this one truly stands apart. The detailing is absolutely exquisite; the visage is particularly mesmerizing with those fine line almond-shaped eyes and arched brows, those delicately contoured cheeks, and the soft delineation of the nose and lips - all upon an elegant oval-shaped face. What's more, the proportions of the figure are near perfection, and the color palette is brilliant. Size: 7" H (17.8 cm)
Shabti (or ushabti) dolls are figures shaped like adult male or female mummies wearing the traditional ancient Egyptian tripartite wigs/headdresses, posed with crossed arms, and holding agricultural implements. 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 hieroglyphic inscriptions typically reflected their 'call' as servants for the deceased who would perform manual tasks in the afterlife. Referred to as 'answerers', these figures would have inscriptions covering their legs assuring Osiris that they were prepared to respond to his call to work, and this example features extensive passages all around the figure.
Provenance: Formerly in the collection of Sgt. William Elliott of 1st Battalion Scots Guards (d. 1915); J. G. Judd collection (b. 1923), collected in 1940s.
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#127980
- Condition: Intact, original paint worn in areas, no repair or restoration, custom base.
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