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#shabti

8octarine_wiggle@mastodon.au
2025-06-03

I would like to know absolutely everything there possibly is to know about what this is:

griffith.ox.ac.uk/gri/carter/b
griffith.ox.ac.uk/perl/gi-ca-q

And because the best way to get answers is to post the wrong thing I'm going to assert what I think and that is that it's a spade.

#archeology #Egyptology #tutankhamun #shabti #ushabti #woodworking #gardening #handtools

Tales from the Two Landstalesfromthetwolands@universeodon.com
2025-02-21

I rather enjoyed this case of shabtis when I visited the Cairo Museum in 2016, I’ve no idea if it’s still there now but I do hope so. Part of what I like about it is the selection of several beautiful wooden & gilded shabtis (and the alabaster one that stands out by contrast).

But it’s not just the figurines themselves, arranged around the back are wooden boxes which would once have contained shabtis – they are shrine shaped with rounded lids between high walls, and brightly painted with big bold stripes like those of the palace facade motif. 🧵 1/3

#ancientEgypt #egyptology #shabti

A photograph of a museum case. In the centre of the case is a display stand with multiple levels, and on each level stand ancient Egyptian figurines called shabtis, there are 15 of these in total with 6 on the bottom row, 4 on the row above, then 3 and finally 2 at the top. Most are wooden & brown in colour, but there is one white alabaster one, one completely gilded one and one that is black with decoration picked out in gold. At the back of the case are several wooden boxes that are taller than they are wide and painted in vertical stripes of black, green & red. To the left of the case are several small model agricultural tools which look a bit like little upside down V shapes. To the right are several little model buckets which come in pairs attached to a strap to go round a figurine's shoulders.
Tales from the Two Landstalesfromthetwolands@universeodon.com
2024-11-22

The Brooklyn Museum has two of these very fine shabti figures, made for a woman called Sati who appears to’ve been nobody special according to her titles (just Mistress of the House) but clearly possessed of great wealth given the quality of the shabtis.

The two pieces are close enough that it feels like you could play “spot the difference”, so I was briefly worried that I’d captioned one with the wrong accession number in my photo gallery! But the texts are different, the tools are different, and the backgrounds are different.

The base material of the shabti is faience, mostly glazed white. The decoration has been added as coloured paste inlays, rather than just painted on the surface of the piece. It must’ve been very time consuming to make, and so very expensive. As well as rather beautiful. 🧵 1/2

#ancientEgypt #egyptology #shabti

A photograph of an ancient Egyptian figurine called a shabti. It represents a person standing upright, in what is known as a mummiform pose. The feet, legs and torso are shown as if they are tightly wrapped and the arms are outside the wrappings crossed at the wrists over the chest. The bulk of the figure is coloured white (representing the cloth the figure is wrapped in), the hands and face are yellow in colour. The figure wears a wig that is tucked behind the ears and extends to the middle of the chest, this wig is striped blue & white. There is a multicoloured broad collar necklace depicted around the shoulders & chest. The hands each hold a tool (one flail, one hoe) and a basket (yellow & blue striped and hanging beneath the hand). The lower torso & legs are covered with a hieroglyphic text in dark blue.
Tales from the Two Landstalesfromthetwolands@universeodon.com
2024-05-24

I have a fondness for shabtis, I like the way they look and I appreciate the very pragmatic approach to the afterlife that they epitomise. No ethereal other world for the Egyptians, instead a world where there was work to do and they didn’t want to be the ones who did it!

This group of shabtis is in the Mallawi Museum and I don’t have any details for them, they were propped up like this next to some Middle Kingdom tomb models without their own label. They probably come from the region around the museum, as is the case for most of the exhibits. 🧵 1/3

#egyptology #AncientEgypt #shabti

A photograph of a small group of ancient Egyptian figurines called shabtis. The group consists of 7 large figures and a further 5 smaller ones. The whole group are propped up against the back wall of the display case resting on top of one another. All the figures are carved to look like a man wrapped up in a shroud, his arms are crossed in front of him and the hands poke out of the shroud. Some hands hold tools, others are just clenched in fists. They generally have a typical Egyptian wig coming down past the shoulders in front and tucked behind the ears. Several of them have the typical fake beard of an Egyptian representation of a man. The back row of 4 are brown in colour and look quite worn. The three large ones in front are in much better condition – the left of these is blue and has a very clear and precise inscription on the torso and legs, the middle in white with no inscription and the right is blue with a worn inscription. In front of these are 5 smaller shabtis that are blue in colour and quite worn.
Tony WellsTonyJWells
2024-04-08

A group of Ancient Egyptian Shabti statues, each approx 15-20cm tall. Manchester Museum.

Approx 7 rows of Ancient Egyptian Shabti statues. Each row has over ten. Some are glazed, others not. Some are coloured turquoise, or brown, and some have panted detail like coloured hair, outlined eyes, and Hieroglyphs.
Katie KinsmanKatieKinsman@mstdn.party
2023-06-14

I made some additional pompom bead dolls. There's still some room in this cigar box. Perhaps I need to add a few more. #workingartist #smallartbusiness #dollmaker #shabti #wool #embroidery #beads #sequins #handmade

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