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Maker(s):Unknown
Culture:Egyptian
Title:Shabti of a woman
Date Made:1293-1070 BCE (New Kingdom, Dynasties 19-20)
Type:Ceremonial
Materials:Ceramic; Earthenware with red-brown clay, yellow slip, and black and red-brown pigment
Place Made:Africa; Asia; Egypt
Measurements:Overall: 3 5/8 in x 15/16 in x 7/8 in; 9.2 cm x 2.4 cm x 2.2 cm
Accession Number:  MH 1909.3c.A.K
Credit Line:Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund
Museum Collection:  Mount Holyoke College Art Museum
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Description:
Mummiform figure, slender and roughly columnar, with slight indication of crossed arms. Body coated in yellow, with black paint for hair, eyes, and text column, and red-brown for nose, mouth and "broad-collar" necklace. Long tresses. Text no longer legible. Back rough.

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

Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=MH+1909.3c.A.K

Research on objects in the collections, including provenance, is ongoing and may be incomplete. If you have additional information or would like to learn more about a particular object, please email fc-museums-web@fivecolleges.edu.

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