Shabti of Sety I

Mummiform shabti wearing a plain tripartite wig rudimentarily carved with narrow front lappets and damaged rear lappet, worn low on the forehead. The face is fairly round in shape, the eyes are poorly defined. The nose is broad and rubbed. The ears are simply defined. The arms are fairly thin, crossed right over left above the waist. The shabti does not carry implements in its hands and there is no basket on the back. The body is quite broad and the buttocks are gently defined. Only a few traces of varnish remain, mostly around the outer edges of the wig, and on the chest above the hands. The shabti is inscribed with the throne name of the pharaoh Sety I, Menmmatra, within a cartouche and the 6th Chapter of the Book of the Dead. Inscription: six lines; quite distinct, except where there are areas of damage. Carved from wood and coated with black resin. Right foot missing and the back is very damaged with the remains of a yellow powdery substance. One of fifteen wooden shabtis of Sety I in World Museum's collection. Transliteration and translation of the inscription: sHD Wsir nsw.t Mn-MAa.t-Ra mAa-xrw Dd.f i SAb.ty [i]p.t[n] ir aS.t ir Hsb.tw sty-mr.y-(n)-PtH mAa-xrw r ir.t kA.t nb(.t) irr.t [i]m (m) Xr.t-nTr i srwD sx.t r smH.yt wDb.w r Xn.t say ... is Hw wDb.w ..., "The illuminated one, the Osiris, the King, Men–Maat–Re, justified, he speaks: O, these shabtis, if one calls, if one reckons, Seti, Beloved (of) Ptah, justified, to do all the works that are to be done there in the realm of the dead – to cultivate the fields, to irrigate the river banks, to transport by boat the sand … now indeed – river banks …".