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Shawabty fragment
Egyptian
Late Period
760–332 B.C.
Findspot: Egypt, Giza, St. 7500 temple, mastaba G 7510 fill
Medium/Technique
Faience
Dimensions
Height: 2.3 cm (7/8 in.)
Credit Line
Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
Accession Number25.2122
NOT ON VIEW
CollectionsAncient Egypt, Nubia and the Near East
ClassificationsTomb equipment – Shawabties and shawabty boxes
DescriptionShawabty, head only.
An ancient Egyptian shawabty is a funerary figurine that was intended to magically animate in the Afterlife in order to act as a proxy for the deceased when called upon to tend to field labor or other tasks. This expressed purpose was sometimes written on the shawabty itself in the form of a "Shawabty Spell," of which versions of various lengths are known. Shorter shawabty inscriptions could also just identify the deceased by name and, when applicable, title(s). However, many shawabtys carry no text at all. The ideal number of such figurines to include in a tomb or burial seems to have varied during different time periods.
An ancient Egyptian shawabty is a funerary figurine that was intended to magically animate in the Afterlife in order to act as a proxy for the deceased when called upon to tend to field labor or other tasks. This expressed purpose was sometimes written on the shawabty itself in the form of a "Shawabty Spell," of which versions of various lengths are known. Shorter shawabty inscriptions could also just identify the deceased by name and, when applicable, title(s). However, many shawabtys carry no text at all. The ideal number of such figurines to include in a tomb or burial seems to have varied during different time periods.
ProvenanceFrom Giza. St. 7500 temple, mastaba G 7510 fill. 1926: excavated by the Harvard University–Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA by the government of Egypt.