Shabti of Nesbanebdjedet

Late Period

380–343 B.C

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 130

This shabti comes from a tomb discovered in 1902 at the site of the ancient city of Mendes (Tell el-Rub’a), the capital of Egypt for a short time during the Late Period. One of the two chambers of the tomb was almost completely empty, with only a few fragments of gold leaf left behind. In the second chamber were over 360 complete shabtis, plus a number of fragments. Most were inscribed, like this one, for the priest Nesbanebdjedet. Of these shabtis, 322 had the type of T-shaped inscription seen here (see also 10.130.1044a). About 100 of Nesbanebdjedet’s shabtis remained in Egypt; many more can be found in museum and private collections around the world.

Nesbanebdjedet’s priestly titles associate him with the cult of the ram-god Banebdjedet, who was part of the Mendesian triad with the goddess Hatmehyt and the child god Harpocrates.

Artwork Details

Overview

Provenance

References

Title: Shabti of Nesbanebdjedet
Period: Late Period
Dynasty: Dynasty 30
Date: 380–343 B.C
Geography: From Egypt; Presumably from Delta, Mendes, Tomb of Nesbanebdjed
Medium: Faience
Dimensions: H. 17.5 × W. 4.4 × D. 3.2 cm (6 7/8 × 1 3/4 × 1 1/4 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Helen Miller Gould, 1910
Object Number: 10.130.1044b
Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

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