52 - A DEEP TURQUOISE-BLUE FAIENCE ‘SHABTI’ FIGURE, LATE PERIOD, DYNASTY XXX

A DEEP TURQUOISE-BLUE FAIENCE ‘SHABTI’ FIGURE, LATE PERIOD, DYNASTY XXX Possibly Tell el-Rub'a, circa 380-343 BC. Finely modeled, standing on a rectangular base, the mummiform figure with crossed arms holding a pick and hoe, the seed bag slung over the left shoulder. Wearing a braided beard with curled tip and a tripartite wig falling to the top of the rectangular back pillar, the face sensitively rendered with a smiling mouth, broad nose, and finely incised eyes. Horizontal and vertical registers of finely incised hieroglyphs extend across the front and partly around the sides. Inscriptions: To the front, a T-shaped hieroglyphic inscription. Provenance: From an old private collection in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear and manufacturing irregularities, minor pitting and abrasions, scattered encrustations, and small losses to the glaze. Weight: 71 g Dimensions: Height 13.3 cm Literature comparison: Compare a closely related faience shabti of Nesbanebdjedet, Dynasty 30, dated to 380-343 BC, 15.8 cm high, from his tomb at Mendes, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, object number 10.130.1044a. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Galerie Zacke, Vienna, 21 November 2025, lot 56 Price: EUR 9,100 or approx. EUR 9,400 adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: A pale blue faience shabti of Nesbanebdjed, Dynasty XXX, 380-342 BC Expert remark : Compare the closely related modeling, pale blue faience, tripartite wig, braided beard, agricultural implements, rectangular back pillar, and particularly the T-shaped hieroglyphic inscription. Note the larger size (17 cm). Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Christie’s London, 6 December 2016, lot 10 Mid-Estimate: GBP 12,500 or approx. EUR 20,500 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An Egyptian green faience shabti for Pakhaas, Late Period, Dynasty XXX, circa 380-342 BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related dating, technique, tripartite wig, plaited beard, and particularly the T-shaped hieroglyphic inscription. Note that the comparison is inscribed for Pakhaas and the larger size (17.3 cm).