LOT 0001

Egyptian Faience Shabti for the Fourth Son of Ramesses II, Prince Khaemwaset

NEW KINGDOM, 19TH DYNASTY, 1279-1213 B.C.

4 5/8 in. (82.4 grams, 11.8 cm).

The mummiform figure in brownish-black and white faience with black detailing, wearing a round wig featuring a side-lock and a broad collar, the white face displaying eyes, eyebrows, nostrils, and a short beard in black; the arms crossed, and the white-glazed hands holding hoes; a slightly raised white-glazed frontal panel containing a column of hieroglyphic text reads: 'The Osiris, the Sem-Priest, the King's Son, Khaemwaset, True of Voice'.

From the private collection of George Ortiz, Geneva, Switzerland, since before 1981.
Received by gift from George Ortiz to the current owner at Mr Ortiz's Geneva home in the summer of 1981.
From the private collection of a UK gentleman since the early 1980s.
Identified by Professor A.M. Dodson BA, MPhil, PhD, FSA, Department of Anthropology & Archaeology, University of Bristol.
This lot has been cleared against the Art Loss Register database, and is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.

Cf. Bovot, J-L., Les serviteurs funéraires royaux et princiers de l’Ancienne Égypte, Paris, 2003, pp.230-301, for the Louvre collection of Khaemwaset shabtis.

Khaemwaset was the fourth son of Ramesses II, born to Queen Iset-Nofret. In addition to serving as the Sem-priest of Ptah at Memphis from an early age, he held various titles related to the Memphite cult, including High Priest of Ptah. The side-lock featured on all of Khaemwaset's shabtis is associated with his priestly role. Many shabtis of the prince are known, with the largest single group coming from the Serapeum at Saqqara; however, others have been found in numerous other locations. Since Khaemwaset's tomb has yet to be discovered, it appears that most of the known shabtis may have served as votive offerings in the sacred areas of the Memphite necropolis. His faience shabtis come in various colours, including green, blue, white, and black, and range in size from just under 10 cm to 15 cm in height. The distinctive glaze combination of this example, featuring a raised white-glazed panel contrasting with the darker body colour, is also found on some other 19th Dynasty shabtis (Cf. Janes, G., The Shabti Collections 3: Rochdale Arts & Heritage Service, Cheshire, 2011, pp.1-5 for those of Userhat from Sedment).