A RARE AND FINE ALABASTER SHABTI, NEW KINGDOM, DYNASTY XVIII-XIX
A RARE AND FINE ALABASTER SHABTI, NEW KINGDOM, DYNASTY XVIII-XIX
Egypt, c. 1450-1189 BC. Finely carved from translucent alabaster, the mummiform figure standing on an integral base, the arms are crossed over the chest and carved in low relief, with the hands schematically indicated. A tripartite wig with broad lappets falling to the chest and finely incised vertical striations, particularly evident to the reverse. The serene, idealized face is modeled with almond-shaped eyes beneath gently arched brows, a straight nose, small mouth, and rounded chin. Remnants of black pigment outline the eyes, brows, wig, collar, arms, and the vertical inscription to the front.
Inscriptions: To the front, a vertical column of painted hieroglyphs, partially preserved.
Provenance: With Galerie Cybèle, Paris, February 1997. A French private collection, Lyon. Acquired by the last owner in 2021. Galerie Cybèle was founded in Paris in 1988 by French antiquities dealer Jean-Pierre Montesino. Specializing in Egyptian and Mediterranean antiquities, the gallery is a member of the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA), while Montesino is a recognized expert of the European Chamber of Expert-Advisors in Fine Art. Through Galerie Cybèle, he has supplied works to major private collections and museums, including the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, few small nicks, and minuscule losses. The painted decoration is extensively worn with only traces of black pigment remaining, and the hieroglyphic inscription is partially effaced. Natural veining and color variations inherent to the stone.
Weight: 423 g
Dimensions: Height 16.3 cm
The use of translucent alabaster, more precisely Egyptian calcite, distinguishes this shabti from the far more numerous examples produced in faience, terracotta, or limestone. The material was quarried principally at Hatnub in Middle Egypt and was particularly valued for its luminosity and finely polished surface. Its employment for funerary sculpture was costly and therefore associated with individuals of considerable status, while the stone's luminous appearance carried connotations of purity and regeneration particularly suited to the funerary sphere.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related alabaster shabti of Siptah, dated to the New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, reign of Siptah, c. 1208-1202 BC, 21.1 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, object number 14.6.179.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's London, 25 October 2012, lot 46
Price: GBP 6,250 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian alabaster shabti, New Kingdom, Dynasty 19-20
Expert remark: Compare the closely related material and dating, mummiform pose, tripartite striated wig, crossed arms, and hieroglyphic inscription. Note the almost identical size (16 cm) and that the comparison bears six lines of hieroglyphic inscription.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 24 October 2012, lot 302
Price: GBP 3,500 or approx. EUR 6,100 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian alabaster shabti, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
Expert remark: Compare the closely related material, mummiform conception, tripartite wig, crossed arms, elongated proportions, and surviving black-painted details. Note the slightly larger size (18 cm).
A RARE AND FINE ALABASTER SHABTI, NEW KINGDOM, DYNASTY XVIII-XIX
Egypt, c. 1450-1189 BC. Finely carved from translucent alabaster, the mummiform figure standing on an integral base, the arms are crossed over the chest and carved in low relief, with the hands schematically indicated. A tripartite wig with broad lappets falling to the chest and finely incised vertical striations, particularly evident to the reverse. The serene, idealized face is modeled with almond-shaped eyes beneath gently arched brows, a straight nose, small mouth, and rounded chin. Remnants of black pigment outline the eyes, brows, wig, collar, arms, and the vertical inscription to the front.
Inscriptions: To the front, a vertical column of painted hieroglyphs, partially preserved.
Provenance: With Galerie Cybèle, Paris, February 1997. A French private collection, Lyon. Acquired by the last owner in 2021. Galerie Cybèle was founded in Paris in 1988 by French antiquities dealer Jean-Pierre Montesino. Specializing in Egyptian and Mediterranean antiquities, the gallery is a member of the International Association of Dealers in Ancient Art (IADAA), while Montesino is a recognized expert of the European Chamber of Expert-Advisors in Fine Art. Through Galerie Cybèle, he has supplied works to major private collections and museums, including the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Condition: Very good condition, commensurate with age. Expected wear, few small nicks, and minuscule losses. The painted decoration is extensively worn with only traces of black pigment remaining, and the hieroglyphic inscription is partially effaced. Natural veining and color variations inherent to the stone.
Weight: 423 g
Dimensions: Height 16.3 cm
The use of translucent alabaster, more precisely Egyptian calcite, distinguishes this shabti from the far more numerous examples produced in faience, terracotta, or limestone. The material was quarried principally at Hatnub in Middle Egypt and was particularly valued for its luminosity and finely polished surface. Its employment for funerary sculpture was costly and therefore associated with individuals of considerable status, while the stone's luminous appearance carried connotations of purity and regeneration particularly suited to the funerary sphere.
Literature comparison:
Compare a closely related alabaster shabti of Siptah, dated to the New Kingdom, Dynasty 19, reign of Siptah, c. 1208-1202 BC, 21.1 cm high, in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, object number 14.6.179.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Christie's London, 25 October 2012, lot 46
Price: GBP 6,250 or approx. EUR 11,000 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian alabaster shabti, New Kingdom, Dynasty 19-20
Expert remark: Compare the closely related material and dating, mummiform pose, tripartite striated wig, crossed arms, and hieroglyphic inscription. Note the almost identical size (16 cm) and that the comparison bears six lines of hieroglyphic inscription.
Auction result comparison:
Type: Closely related
Auction: Bonhams London, 24 October 2012, lot 302
Price: GBP 3,500 or approx. EUR 6,100 converted and adjusted for inflation at the time of writing
Description: An Egyptian alabaster shabti, New Kingdom, Dynasty 18
Expert remark: Compare the closely related material, mummiform conception, tripartite wig, crossed arms, elongated proportions, and surviving black-painted details. Note the slightly larger size (18 cm).
