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Shawabty fragments of King Taharqa

Nubian
Napatan Period, reign of Taharqa
690–664 B.C.
Findspot: Nubia (Sudan), Nuri, Pyramid 1

Medium/Technique Gray serpentinite
Dimensions Overall largest: 6.7 cm (2 5/8 in.)
Overall smallest: 2.2 cm (7/8 in.)
Credit Line Harvard University—Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition
Accession Number21.14623
NOT ON VIEW

DescriptionThese are five pieces of the lower legs and foot fragments of shawabtys of King Taharqa. When complete, there are nine or ten horizontal lines of unframed, incised text on the front of the figure. One fragment shows parts of four lines of text. This mummiform shape does not have a back pillar or base.

The ancient Nubians included shawabtys in their tombs only in the Napatan Period, about 750–270 B.C. These funerary figurines are based on Egyptian shawabtys, but differ from them in many features of their iconography. For instance, the known Nubian examples are only from royal tombs. Also, they have unique texts, implements, poses and are known to have the largest number of shawabtys included in one tomb. Their function, it is assumed, was the same as that of the Egyptian shawabty, namely 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 Nubia (Sudan), Nuri, Pyramid 1 (tomb of Taharqa). 1917: excavated by the Harvard University–Boston Museum of Fine Arts Expedition; assigned to the MFA in the division of finds by the government of the Sudan.