Shabti of Heby
M13890
Information
Mummiform shabti wearing a tripartite wig with striations indicated in the modelling. The striations are quite widely spaced. The face is missing. The arms are crossed right over left on the chest. Implements are not carried, and there are no baskets on the back. A broad wesekh–collar is worn across the chest, ending in a row of drop–shaped beads. There are traces of red paint on the upper left corner of the collar. Unfortunately the shabti has lost its face. A ba–bird, representing the deceased’s soul in the form of a Horus falcon, enfolds its wings around the middle of the shabti. The upper body and head of the bird are missing. The wings and upper rear of the body are painted green. The body of the shabti has seven horizontal bands of an incised inscription naming the owner as Heby, followed by Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead. The hieroglyphs have traces of blue paint remaining in them.
Transliteration and translation of the inscription: sHd Wsir Hb.y mAa-xrw ir-n KA-n-wn-? i SAwAb.ty ipn ir n iw Wsir m kA.t nb.t irr.t (im) m Xr.t-nTr m s r Xr.wt.f is.tw Hw sDb.w im s r (xr.wt.f ?) sx.t r smH.yt wDb.w r Xn.t Say [n] imn.tt r iAb.tt ip.tw r.k r nw t k ??, "The illuminated, the Osiris, Heby, justified, born to Ka–en– wen–?: O, these shabtis, ?? in respect of the Osiris, for the works that are to be done there in the realm of the dead, as a man at his duties – now indeed obstacles are implanted therewith, as a man at his duties(?) – to cultivate the fields, to irrigate the river banks, to transport by boat the sand of the east to the west – I am counted off at any time …?".