Description:
Pale blue faience figure wearing short kilt (dress of the living). Right arm bent, left arm down at side. Faint traces of black paint for headband with streamers, hoe (in right hand) and column of text naming Djed-Hor. Flat back. Face ill-defined. Mediocre workmanship. Original bright turquoise color visible in small patches on back.
Label Text:
Ancient Egyptians were obliged to perform certain tasks for the state, including agricultural labor. Small mummy-shaped figurines called “shabtis” were introduced to perform this work in the afterlife and often carried hoes or seed-baskets. Initially, the deceased was given only one shabti, but the number increased dramatically over time. From the 18th Dynasty on, shabtis sometimes appeared dressed as living people rather than as mummies. These statuettes could be made of earthenware, Egyptian faience, stone, or other materials. Egyptian faience, a ceramic substance composed of quartz granules fused with alkali, frequently appears in bright colors that imitate lapis lazuli or turquoise.
2016
Tags:
ancient; archaeology; tombs; deaths; afterlife; religion; rituals; ceremonies; sculpture; agriculture Subjects:
Religion; Rites and ceremonies; Agriculture; archaeological objects; Civilization, Ancient; Death; Future life; Rituals; Sculpture; Tombs Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+1910.9.6.A.K |
