A large carved alabaster overseer (rais) shabti wearing a duplex wig 'perruque à revers', normally associated with the dress of the living, an ornamental collar, ousehk, visible between the lappets of the wig, the face broad and reminiscent of a funerary mask with delicate cosmetic lines; holding a crook and flail in his hands, each painted in black pigment; wearing a long layered kilt and a pleated apron with a painted hieroglyphic text tentatively identified as 'sHD wsir / wrwy / Dd.f' (on the instructions of Osiris / Werwy (personal name) / says), remains of feet visible beneath the kilt; the overseer's belt, wig and shirt pleats continued in black pigment on the reverse of the figure with surviving red pigmentation to the obverse; mounted on a custom-made display stand.

PROVENANCE:
Property of a central London gentleman; previously with Pierre Bergé & Associés, Paris, France, 30 May 2015, lot 32 (32,000-35,000 euros); acquired from a private European collection, in 1978; previously with Maspero collection, Paris, in 1963; formerly in the Carieau family collection, Belgium, acquired in 1952; accompanied by an academic report by Dr Alberto Maria Pollastrini and a scholarly note TL05403 by Dr Ronald Bonewitz; this lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by AIAD certificate number no.10876-180803; and copies of the relevant Pierre Bergé & Associés catalogue pages.

LITERATURE:
See Schneider, H. D., Shabtis, Leiden, 1977, p.237, no.3.2.5.2-6; Milde, H., 'Shabtis' in Wendrich, W. (ed.), UCLA Encyclopedia of Egyptology, Los Angeles. 2012; the less detailed pair to this shabti previously sold by Bonhams, New Bond Street, London, 30 November 2016, lot 175 [sold for £35,000 hammer]; accompanied by copies of the relevant catalogue pages.