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LOT 0002
Egyptian Wooden Shabti
NEW KINGDOM, 19TH DYNASTY, 1293-1185 B.C.
10 5/8 in. (332 grams, 26.9 cm).
Carved in the round with detailed tripartite wig, hands crossed at the chest; some painted and gilded(?) plaster surface; mounted on a later base.
ProvenanceFrom the collection of Mrs Kilvert, who fled from France to England during the French Revolution.
Received by gift to the Hodge family from Mrs Kilvert at Bath in 1864-1865; thence by descent to the grandchildren of Mr John Hodge, a private London tutor.
From the collection of a New Zealand family; thence by descent.
This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12846-239090.
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. Janes, G., The Shabti Collections 5: A Selection from the Manchester Museum, Lymm, 2012, p.64, for a shabti with a similar decorative arrangement.
FootnotesA shabti, also known as ushabti or shawabti, is a small funerary figurine found in ancient Egyptian tombs, dating from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to serve as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife, carrying out manual tasks such as farming or irrigation. Shabtis were often inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would animate when summoned. The distinctive, lighter-coloured, and previously part-gilded upper body decoration, contrasting with the black used for the rest of the figure, may symbolise the moment of rebirth, when the face of the deceased was bathed in the sun's rays.
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AUCTIONS:
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Egyptian Glass Inlay Collection
Ptolemaic Period, 332-30 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £442
Various fragments, most featuring floral motifs, and a rectangular red, black lined block with an eye at each narrow end. 14.1 grams total, 14-29 mm
Acquired on the UK art market, 1977-1979. Private collection, London. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato. -
Egyptian Wooden Shabti
New Kingdom, 19th Dynasty, 1293-1185 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £2,080
Carved in the round with detailed tripartite wig, hands crossed at the chest; some painted and gilded(?) plaster surface; mounted on a later base. 332 grams, 26.9 cm
From the collection of Mrs Kilvert, who fled from France to England during the French Revolution. Received by gift to the Hodge family from Mrs Kilvert at Bath in 1864-1865; thence by descent to the grandchildren of Mr John Hodge, a private London tutor. From the collection of a New Zealand family; thence by descent. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12846-239090. 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.
A shabti, also known as ushabti or shawabti, is a small funerary figurine found in ancient Egyptian tombs, dating from around 2000 BCE to 30 BCE. Its main purpose was to serve as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife, carrying out manual tasks such as farming or irrigation. Shabtis were often inscribed with a magical formula from the Book of the Dead to ensure they would animate when summoned. The distinctive, lighter-coloured, and previously part-gilded upper body decoration, contrasting with the black used for the rest of the figure, may symbolise the moment of rebirth, when the face of the deceased was bathed in the sun's rays. -
Egyptian Light Blue Faience Hippopotamus Amulet
Late Period, 664-332 B.C.Sold for (Inc. bp): £195
Blue glazed figure modelled in the round as a standing hippopotamus, pierced to the centre. 3.63 grams, 20 mm
From an early 20th century collection. This lot is accompanied by an illustrated lot declaration signed by the Head of the Antiquities Department, Dr Raffaele D'Amato.
In ancient Egypt, hippos symbolised both danger and protection, representing chaos and fertility. Feared for their aggression along the Nile, they were also associated with the protective goddess Taweret and the river’s life-giving power.
