Featured Object

Shabti of the God’s father Imhotep

Late Period (30th Dynasty), 380-342 BCE; Egyptian faience; 21 x 6 x 4 cm Museum Number: 3351

This mummified figure is of the type referred to as a shabti, ushabti or shawabti. These figurines were buried along with the deceased and became their ‘deputies’ in the afterlife. Shabti figures like this one are inscribed with an extract from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead, which called upon the shabti to perform manual labour on behalf of the dead.