Loading, please wait...

Use mousewheel to zoom in and out, click to enlarge

Details

LOT 0437

Egyptian Wooden Funerary Shabti Figurine

NEW KINGDOM, CIRCA 1570-1070 B.C.

5 3/4 in. (39 grams, 14.5 cm).

Carved in the round as a mummiform figure, with a carefully modelled tripartite wig, a rounded face, large eyes, and a subtly simpering expression.

Provenance

Ex R. Liechti (1934-2010) Geneva, Switzerland, formed between 1950-1990s.
with Liechti stock number 'E.825' to base.

This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12079-218221.

Literature

Cf. Schlögl, H. & Brodbeck, A., Ägyptische Totenfiguren aus öffentlichen und privaten sammlungen der Schweiz, Göttingen, 1990, p. 104, no. 43, for similar.

Footnotes

A shabti (also known as ushabti or shawabti) is a small funerary figurine found in ancient Egyptian tombs, from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to act as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife, carrying out manual tasks like farming or irrigation as directed by the gods. Shabtis were frequently inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would animate when summoned.

CONDITION

VETTING:

TimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process


AUCTIONS:

TimeLine is a leading auction house specialising in antiquities, ancient art, collectables, natural history, coins, medals, and books. Our auctions offer museums, collectors, historians, and enthusiasts the opportunity to acquire unique and historically significant pieces.

LOT 0437

Egyptian Wooden Funerary Shabti Figurine

Estimate £1,000 - 1,400€1,160 - 1,620 (for guidance only)$1,350 - 1,890 (for guidance only)

Print page

RELATED LOTS

  • Egyptian Coptic Textile Fragment Group
    Egyptian Coptic Textile Fragment Group
    Circa 4th-5th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £234

    Comprising: terminal part of a clavus from a tunic with an orbiculus, in purple wool on linen, embroidered with vegetal and floral motifs, framed by straight borders with external crenellation; a fragment of segmentum in yellow, green and red wool, S torsion, embroidered with floral and geometric patterns. 40 grams total including package, 17-20 cm



    Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

    The fragments are decorative parts of tunics. These are fabrics of great decorative finesse, with some elements displaying an unusual and extremely well-preserved color palette. The plant designs recall Iranian motifs.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Coptic Textile Fragment Group
    Egyptian Coptic Textile Fragment Group
    Circa 4th-6th century A.D.

    Sold for (Inc. bp): £260

    Comprising: fragment of a segmentum in red and coarse linen, S torsion, embroidered with geometric motifs; fragment of another segmentum in red, yellow, blue and green wool, with representations of buds within a red frame; a small tabula in purple wool over linen background, embroidered with a stylised image of Pegasus; a double segmenta, in purple over linen, embroidered with wave motif. 66 grams total including package, 7.8-20.5 cm



    Acquired 1970s-1996. Property of a North American collector. London collection, 2016.

    These are pieces of extraordinary finesse in both material and design. They all probably were once applied as a decoration of various garments, such as tunics, cloaks, and shawls.

    Lot Details

  • Egyptian Schist Plate
    Egyptian Schist Plate
    Middle Kingdom, 2040-1782 B.C.

    Estimate: £650 - 850 (‡+bp*)

    Opening Bid: £325

    Discoid palette with rounded underside and flat base, dished central field, flat rim with four radiating trapezoidal projections. 450 grams, 16.4 cm



    Acquired in the mid 1980s-1990s. Private collection, Switzerland, thence by descent. Private collection, since the late 1990s. Accompanied by a copy of an Art Loss Register certificate no.S00038135.

    Lot Details

Stay up-to-date with the latest from TimeLine Auctions by joining our mailing list