Ancient Egypt, Ptolemaic - Faience - Shabti

These Ptolemaic shabti are a particularly beautiful example of Late Egyptian funerary art, with clear hieroglyphs that tell unusually much about the original owner. On the front is the traditional formula “The Enlightened, the Osiris” (shd wsir), a title indicating that the deceased was seen in the afterlife as a being enveloped by light and reborn.

On the back pillar is also the name of the deceased, possibly read as Ha-bener-Re (ha-br-ra), who is indicated as a Ka-priest (ḥm-ka). Ka-priests had an important role in caring for the cult of offerings to the dead and a function that certainly was not for everyone.

This makes this figurine particularly attractive: a shabti with an identifiable name and a specific priestly title is relatively rare and provides a direct glimpse into the life and status of the person for whom it was made. An original, meaningful and historically rich object that forms a unique addition to any collection.

Includes certificates of authenticity.

Egypt, Ptolemaic Period, ca. 330 to 30 BCE. A beautiful pair of mold-formed faience shabti amulet figures (plural ushabti), colored in the classic teal blue that has weathered to a lighter hue over the centuries. The mummiform figures are slender with a plaited false beard and a tripartite wig, hieroglyphs are incised on both sides from their chests to their feet.