alb3680974

Shabti of Seti I

Shabti of Seti I. Dimensions: H. 30.5 × W. 8.8 × D. 6.5 cm (12 × 3 7/16 × 2 9/16 in.). Dynasty: Dynasty 19. Reign: reign of Seti I. Date: ca. 1294-1279 B.C..
This shabti was one of hundreds made for the pharaoh Seti I, the father of Ramesses II. Shabtis were placed in a tomb so the owner's spirit would not have to perform manual labor in the afterlife. The figurines were often inscribed with the "shabti text" - chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead - a spell that exhorts the shabti to substitute itself if the owner is asked to till the fields, irrigate the land, or transport sand from east to west. To this end, even royal shabtis are often depicted clutching a pick and a hoe, and with a basket hanging over one or both shoulders. In this example, the king holds the hoe in his left hand and the pick in his right, but there is no basket on the back.
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Title:
Shabti of Seti I
Caption:
Shabti of Seti I. Dimensions: H. 30.5 × W. 8.8 × D. 6.5 cm (12 × 3 7/16 × 2 9/16 in.). Dynasty: Dynasty 19. Reign: reign of Seti I. Date: ca. 1294-1279 B.C.. This shabti was one of hundreds made for the pharaoh Seti I, the father of Ramesses II. Shabtis were placed in a tomb so the owner's spirit would not have to perform manual labor in the afterlife. The figurines were often inscribed with the "shabti text" - chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead - a spell that exhorts the shabti to substitute itself if the owner is asked to till the fields, irrigate the land, or transport sand from east to west. To this end, even royal shabtis are often depicted clutching a pick and a hoe, and with a basket hanging over one or both shoulders. In this example, the king holds the hoe in his left hand and the pick in his right, but there is no basket on the back.
Technique/material:
Faience, paint
Period:
New Kingdom, Ramesside
Museum:
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, USA
Credit:
Album / Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY
Releases:
Model: No - Property: No
Rights questions?
Image size:
3332 x 4200 px | 40.0 MB
Print size:
28.2 x 35.6 cm | 11.1 x 14.0 in (300 dpi)