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Shabti of Tjebure

New Kingdom, Ramesside
ca. 1295–1186 B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 122
This finely carved stone shabti, made for a man named Tjebure, depicts the owner's body wrapped like a mummy but with the hands visible resting open on the thighs. An image of Tjebure's spirit - or ba - in the form of a human-headed bird, spreads its wings over his chest just below an ornamental collar. Representations of the ba-bird joining with the mummy are frequently included in the Book of the Dead, a collection of spells intended to help the deceased on the journey through the underworld. Another example of this imagery can be seen on a Late Period coffin belonging to Ankhshepenwepet.

Lines of text wrapping around the front and sides of the shabti record an inscription to ensure that the shabti will respond if Tjebure is required to work in the afterlife.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Shabti of Tjebure
  • Period: New Kingdom, Ramesside
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 19
  • Date: ca. 1295–1186 B.C.
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Serpentinite
  • Dimensions: H. 19 cm (7 1/2 in.); w. 6.5 cm (2 9/16 in.); d. 5 cm (1 15/16 in.)
  • Credit Line: Rogers Fund, 1944
  • Object Number: 44.4.72
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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