Shabti (front)

A shabti is a model of a servant, buried with an ancient Egyptian in order to perform menial tasks in the Afterlife on behalf of the deceased. This shabti carved in black serpentine dates from the Middle Kingdom (around 2007 to 1759 BC).

This picture shows the front. The shabti is in the form of a mummy. It holds an ankh sign, the symbol of life, and a sceptor of authority in its right hand. The hieroglyphic inscription down the front is a prayer.

Egyptian hieroglyphs were pictures representing objects or sounds. They were sacred symbols, and closely linked to religion. Complicated and difficult to write, different scripts were developed over time for legal and administrative writing and for daily use.

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Online ID:	000-100-104-552-C
Image Rights Holder:	National Museums Scotland
Project:	0098: National Museums Scotland Project description \| View all records in project
Ref:	National Museums Scotland A.1965.21
Date:	Middle Kingdom Middle Kingdom (around 2007 to 1759 BC)
Material:
Dimensions:	7.13" H
What:	Shabti
Subject:	Shabtis
Who:	Dudu-Hor (Owner) General Sir John Maxwell (Owner)
Where:	Ancient Egypt
Event:
Description:	Mummiform shabti in black serpentine shown holding an ankh and was-sceptre, with a dedication down the rear naming the owner as Dudu-Hor: Ancient Egyptian, Middle Kingdom
References:
Translations:
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