Large Egyptian Carved Granite Shabti

25th Dynasty, 744-656 BC. A granite shabti for a high official with tripartite wig, arms crossed at the chest holding a pick and a hoe, two seed bags suspended from them. See discussion in Taylor, J.H., Death and the Afterlife in Ancient Egypt, London, 2001, p.114ff. 1.7 kg, 31cm (12 1/4"). Property of a London gentleman; previously in the Abraham collection since 1999; formerly in a London collection since 1961; before that in the Evangelist collection, Nice, France; accompanied by a scholarly note TL 5286 by Dr Ronald Bonewitz. The characteristic format of the shabti with tripartite wig and arms folded across the chest is thought to derive from mummiform images carved on funerary monuments in the Middle Kingdom, 2133-1797 BC. The formal pose thus became firmly established as an idealised image of the corpse, independent of the actual appearance of the owner. A video of this lot is available on TimeLine Auctions website
Condition Report: Very fine condition.