46 - A POLYCHROMED LIMESTONE SHABTI, NEW KINGDOM, RAMESSIDE PERIOD, DYNASTY XIX-XX

A POLYCHROMED LIMESTONE SHABTI, NEW KINGDOM, RAMESSIDE PERIOD, DYNASTY XIX-XX Egypt, c. 1307-1070 BC. Finely carved in mummiform, standing on an integral rounded base, the arms are crossed over the chest, the hands emerging from the wrapping, grasping painted agricultural attributes (hoes), with the broad usekh collar indicated by horizontal bands between the lappets. A tripartite wig with broad lappets falling to the chest, framing a rounded, serenely modeled face with large almond-shaped eyes, arched brows, a straight nose, full lips, and prominent ears. Inscriptions: To the front, a painted vertical column of hieroglyphic inscription. Provenance: The private collection of J. Engels. The private collection of A. v. d. B. A private collection, acquired in 2017. Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, few small nicks, and expected fading and losses to the pigments. The hieroglyphic inscription is partially preserved. Weight: 206 g Dimensions: Height 13.6 cm The shabti was an ancient Egyptian funerary figure placed among the grave goods and intended to perform manual labor on behalf of the deceased in the afterlife. By the Ramesside period, such figures were commonly represented in mummiform guise holding agricultural implements and could bear painted or inscribed hieroglyphic texts. Literature comparison: Compare a related limestone ushabti of Pa-scheri-en-aset, dated to Dynasty 21-22, 13.6 cm high, in the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna, inv. no. INV 9351. Compare a closely related painted limestone shabti of Imenemouia, dated to the Ramesside period, 1295-1069 BC, 23.5 cm high, in the Musée du Louvre, Paris, inventory number E 10503. Auction result comparison: Type: Closely related Auction: Bonhams London, 1 May 2008, lot 56 Price: GBP 4,200 or approx. EUR 6,200 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing Description: An Egyptian painted limestone shabti, New Kingdom, 18 th-19 th dynasty, circa 1550-1185 BC Expert remark: Compare the closely related material, polychrome decoration, mummiform pose, tripartite wig, crossed arms holding agricultural implements, and central vertical column of hieroglyphs. Note the larger size (18 cm).