Shabti

Mummiform shabti, carved from Egyptian alabaster (travertine/calcite) originally painted green with details in black and red. The shabti wears a tripartite wig painted in black, of which only traces remain. The arms are crossed on the chest, being simply outlined in black with no modelling in relief. The hands are similarly outlined. No implements are obvious although there is red paint above each hand. The face is very crudely modelled, with black paint, used to show the eyes and the mouth. The feet are not defined, and the shabti tapers to a rounded base. The front of the figure has a single column of an inscription that is indiscernible. Compare with shabtis inscribed for King Ramesses 6th. Summary of a 2007 scientific analysis of three similar shabtis in the collection (all of Ramesses VI): the paint was all wax based - the green paint was wax mixed with either copper or a copper salt and heated, to form a copper-wax complex. There was also Egyptian blue, and ochre mixed with wax, but we didn't manage to confirm the nature of the yellow/brown pigment on some the shabtis. CONDITION NOTE (1998): Very worn, surface loss, chipped, pitted, label adhered to surface, surface dirt.