Shabti of Ramesses VI

M13943

Information

Mummiform shabti, carved from Egyptian alabaster (travertine/calcite), wearing a tripartite wig that is outlined in black, and filled with green wax, of which only traces remain. The arms are crossed left over right on the chest, being simply outlined in black with no modelling in relief. The hands are similarly outlined. No implements are obvious except for a small triangle painted in black and red above the right hand that presumably indicates a hoe. Red paint is also evident around the hand and wrist of the left hand, but the hoe is not painted in black. The face is very crudely modelled, and there are traces of 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 each figure has a single column of a very crudely written inscription that gives the prenomen or throne name of Ramesses VI (Neb–Maat–Re). Unusually for a royal figure, there is no uraeus on the front of the wig. The shabti is painted with a mixture of green pigment (copper) and bees wax with inscription and details in black. Transliteration and translation of the inscription: nb-tA.wy Nb-MAa.t-Ra-(mry-Imn) mAa-xrw (?), "The Lord of the Two Lands, Neb–Maat–Re–mery–Amen, justified (?)". Summary of scientific analysis of 3 shabtis of Ramesses VI in 2007: 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.