Egyptian Shabti updates

February 25, 2024
Page Bab el Gasus
Link added to the publication of Hala Mostafa, The Coffin Set of Hori JE 29619 from the 21st Dynasty

February 23, 2024
Page Bab el Gasus
Link added to the publication of BeG coffins in the Cairo Museum

February 21, 2024
Page Bab el Gasus
Extra image of a Djedmaatiusankh shabti added with a black wig without fillet (Artemission 06-2024)

February 19, 2024
Page Special shabtis
Following a collector’s comment, added a discussion about the possible breasts on a potential mongoose shabti

February 19, 2024
Page Bab el Gasus
Extra image of a Mehunedjem shabti added with a hair band adorned on an unpainted wig (Drouot FR 15-02-2024)

February 17, 2024
The Shabti Collections 5: The Manchester Museum (500 pages) has now been made available online by Glenn Janes for GBP 20. It is one of the largest and best shabti descriptions ever. Numerous parallels and provenance references. Check it out here 

February 19, 2024
Page Special shabtis
Following a collector’s comment, added a discussion about the possible breasts on a potential mongoose shabti

February 19, 2024
Page Bab el Gasus
Extra image of a Mehunedjem shabti added with a hair band adorned on an unpainted wig (Drouot FR 15-02-2024)

February 17, 2024
The Shabti Collections 5: The Manchester Museum (500 pages) has now been made available online by Glenn Janes for GBP 20. It is one of the largest and best shabti descriptions ever. Numerous parallels and provenance references. Check it out here 

January 28, 2024
Page Royal Cache shabtis enriched with more than 30 additional 3D videos of Cache I shabtis thanks to the efforts of Andreas von dem Berge

January 18, 2024
Page Bab el Gasus
Second type of Shedsuhor listed

January 17, 2024
Page Bab el Gasus enriched with 31 additional 3D videos of Bab el Gasus shabtis thanks to the efforts of Andreas von dem Berge

December 25, 2023
Page: Royal Cache
The back of the second shabti box of Henuttawy A added
Photo: VB 2023

 

December 7, 2023
Page Special shabtis redesigned

December 4, 2023
Page Bab el Gasus redesigned. All known dates such as coffins, papyri and shabtiboxes are now in the first column, next to that column are the corresponding shabtis

December 2, 2023
Glenn Janes has probably tracked down a second owner of Amenhatpamecha from the Bab el Gasus tomb. In anticipation of the result, a small note has already been included with this group

November 11, 2023
At the request of the owner of a Mongoose shabti, the information about a TL test conducted on his behalf has been removed

October 6, 2023
Page Royal Cache redesigned

December 4, 2023
Glenn Janes has probably tracked down a second owner of Amenhatpamecha from the Bab el Gasus tomb. In anticipation of the result, a small note has already been included with this group

November 11, 2023
At the request of the owner of a Mongoose shabti, the information about a TL test conducted on his behalf has been removed

October 6, 2023
Page Royal Cache redesigned

October 3, 2023
Page Chronological overview reoganized. I also removed the background behind the shabtis to make the page easier to read

October 2, 2023
Unique 19th dynasty limestone shabti of Taenuhuya added with a large pectoral holding a scarab and a Ba bird below it

 

October 1, 2023
Made some layout and text improvements and added explanation for the terms shabti and ushabti to the ushabti of Pinedjem II

 

September 29, 2023
Page: Pharaohs
The only known complete shabti of Necho II rehabilitated 

September 24 – 27, 2023
Site navigation to certain sections did not always work correctly. Fixed.

September 21, 2023
Page: Special shabtis
Added Duamutef shabti Toledo Museum of Art and Jackal-headed shabti from the British Museum

 

September 20, 2023
Page: Special shabtis
Extra information and references added to the Baboon (Hapi) shabtis

 

September 9, 2023
Anonymous shabti box (type Vc) from Bab el Gasus added to Bab el Gasus page.
Replaced the photos of the Istanbul boxes with the original photos. Courtesy Istanbul Archeology Museum

August 17, 2023
Added second (previously unknown) shabtibox for Userhatmes and second anonymous shabtibox of Bab el Gasus from the Istanbul Archaeological Museum. Shown at the ICE conference in Leiden 2023

August 8, 2023
Outer coffin of Nestaudjatakhet in Odessa, Ukraine
Nice video created by students in Egyptology Dinara Hereikhanova and Illia Semenenko

June 19, 2023
The right overseer linked to Menkheperre’s Bab el Gasus shabti
Bonhams, July 6 2023, lot 286
Photo: Bonhams

May 2, 2023
Good photo added of front side shabti-decree of Nesykhonsu
British Museum, London EA 16672
Photo: VB 2023

March 5, 2023
Rare metal shabti of Nakhtmin
Assumed to be of the Amarna Period
Metropolitan Museum 26.7.843
Photo: MET

January 3, 2023
Page Pharaos
An interesting 2021 study “Les ouchebtis royaux de la XXVIth dynasty” by Raphaële Meffre chooses a different attribution for Psamtek I, Psamek II and Apries than the one I have followed. In the article, she assigns the Apries ushabti to Psamtek I and the Psamtek I shown by me to Psamtek II. Her research is another building block to finally assign the right owner to the right ushabti. Raphaële Meffre holds a PhD in Egyptology from the University of Paris-Sorbonne.

December 23, 2022
Nestanebetisheru
Royal Cache – DB 320
Thanks to research by Niek de Haan and Glenn Janes, I was able to add a third worker. Only 2 specimens are currently known

 

December 13, 2022
Bab el Gasus
Second shabti box of Herytubekhet
Vienna KHM 6253
Photo: VB 2022

October 14, 2022
Potential overseer for Bab el Gasus shabti Amenpermut
VB 2022

September 15, 2022
Page : Rare and special shabtis
Horizontally and vertically pierced glass shabti (4.1 cm)
Amasis Collection (not published)
Photos: courtesy JT

July 18, 2022
Update on a rare series that could be mongoose shabtis
VB 2022

June 26, 2022
Page Sources
Book about swindle in art and antiques trade by Jean Thomassen, 2007, 354 pages, shabtis pg. 199-243
Zwendel in de kunst- en antiekhandel
Around 60 genuine and fake shabis, moderate black and white photos, the accompanying text describes the provenance and journey of various pieces and discusses forgeries that appeared on the market
Uitgeverij Aspekt, 2007, ISBN-10: 90-5911-285-7, ISBN 13: 978-90-5911-285-8

June 7, 2022
Page Rare and special shabtis
Added bronze worker shabti of Nakhtherkhopeshef
20th Dynasty, ca. 1000 BC
Museum MARKK, Hamburg
Photo: VB 2022

June 6, 2022
Page : Rare and special shabtis
Extra photo compilation added to the presumed listening shabti
Concubine shabtis added
Photos: Courtesy Glenn Janes

June 6, 2022
Page : Rare and special shabtis
Thanks to a good acquaintance, I was able to identify a shabti previously listed on my site under the name Iay as an overseer of General Undjebauendjed of Tanis
VB 2022

April 20, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus – Userhatmes
New photo shabtibox
Photo: Courtesy/Copyright Alain Dautant 2013

April 20, 2022
Page Determine Age Shabtis
Material: Bronze shabtis added
Photos: VB

March 28, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus shabti owners :
All around movies of Bab el Gasus shabtis
Isetemkhebit I      (Bab el Gasus) worker
Isetemkhebit II     (Bab el Gasus) worker
Menkheperra B    (Bab el Gasus) worker
Meretamen           (Bab el Gasus) worker
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 27, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus shabti owners :
Thanks to photos I received from Jen Thum of the Harvard Art Museums, I discovered four shabtis that solved the problem of the great difference in iconography between the, until febrary 2022 published in various studies, worker and overseer. Instead of one type, it turns out they are two types that almost without a doubt belong to the same person, Amenniutnakht. Therefore, I have now represented them as two separate types

Amenniutnakht – imn-niwt-nxt
Type 1

Amenniutnakht – imn-niwt-nxt
Type 2

February 27, 2022
Site Shabticollections.com :
A new study by Patrice Renaut and Niek de Haan on the shabtis of Tayuheret was published today. What is remarkable is that although many overseers are known, relatively few workers have been found. Here is the research

February 27, 2022
Page Shabtis ancient Egypt :
All around movie of Ramessu, son of Sennedjem
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 27, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus shabti owners :
Second all around movies of Bab el Gasus shabti
Taudjatra   (Bab el Gasus) worker
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 27, 2022
Page Shabtis ancient Egypt :
All around movies of a stone and faience shabti of Senkamanisken (Kushite King early 26th Dynasty)
Senkamanisken stone
Senkamanisken faience
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 26, 2022
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
Another set of all around movies of rare shabtis from the Royal Cache DB320
Djedptahiufankh     (Royal Cache) worker Type 2
Isetemkheb D           (Royal Cache) extra worker Type 1
Nesitanebtashru      (Royal Cache) extra worker Type 2
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022
Djedptahiufankh     (Royal Cache) overseer Type 1
Dutch private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 15, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus
Two shabti boxes of (another?) Tabaketenkhonsu added
Cairo JE 29279 and JE 29292
Photo: VB 2021

February 28, 2022
I have decided to detach these boxes from the lady from Bab el Gasus because it is likely that the box in the Smithsonian was in Lot 10 sent to the US as an anonymous box. The shabtibox in the Smithsonian fits the dating of the coffins better

February 14, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus
Shabti box of Sjedsuhor added
Cairo JE 29288
Photo: VB 2021

February 14, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus
Shabti box of Dyrepu added
Cairo JE 29291
Photo: VB 2021

February 12, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus shabti owners :
All around movies of Bab el Gasus shabtis
Shedsuhor        (Bab el Gasus) worker
Taudjatra          (Bab el Gasus) worker
Tentipet            (Bab el Gasus) worker
Tentipet            (Bab el Gasus) overseer
Tentosorkon    (Bab el Gasus) worker
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 9, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus shabti owners :
All around movies of Bab el Gasus shabtis
Pakharu   (Bab el Gasus) worker with bag
Pakharu   (Bab el Gasus) worker without bag
Tahenetnebkhemenu  (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 1
Tahenetnebkhemenu  (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 2
Tjanefer    (Bab el Gasus) worker
Userhatmes   (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 3
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 7, 2022
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
A fourth type has been added to the Isetemkheb workers. Pictures have also been added to show the differences between the types. 3D movies are now available for the first 3 types
Type 1
Type 2
Type 3
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 6, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus shabti owners :
All around movies of Bab el Gasus shabtis
Amennniutnakht        (Bab el Gasus) worker
Djedkhonsuiufankh   (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 1
Gautseshenu A           (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 1
Hori                              (Bab el Gasus) worker
Hori                              (Bab el Gasus) overseer
Khonsuenrenep         (Bab el Gasus) worker
Nespakashuty            (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 1
Nespakashuty            (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 2
Nespaneferher           (Bab el Gasus) worker
Nesypawtytawy         (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 2
Nesypernub               (Bab el Gasus) worker
Payefadjer                  (Bab el Gasus) worker
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 1, 2022
Page Bab el Gasus shabti owners :
All around movies of Bab el Gasus shabtis
Amenhatpamecha       (Bab el Gasus) overseer Type 1
Amenhatpamecha       (Bab el Gasus) worker Type 4
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 1, 2022
Page Shabtis, a chronological overview :
All around movie of the 17th Dynasty wooden stick shabti of Senakhtpu, son of Khonsu and brother of Imennefer
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 1, 2022
Page Shabtis, a chronological overview :
All around movie of the 20th Dynasty Ramsesmentukhepersef son of Ramses IX
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

February 1, 2022
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
All around movie of a Royal Cache DB320 overseer
Nesykhonsu       (Royal Cache) overseer
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

January 30, 2022
Page Rare and special shabtis :
All around movie of a wax statue with golden mask
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

January 30, 2022
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
Another set of all around movies of rare shabtis from the Royal Cache DB320
Nesykhonsu       (Royal Cache) worker Type 1
Nesykhonsu       (Royal Cache) worker Type 1 with unique ear ornaments
Nesykhonsu       (Royal Cache) worker Type 2
Isetemkheb D    (Royal Cache) worker Type 2
Isetemkheb D    (Royal Cache) worker Type 3
Pinedjem II         (Royal Cache) worker
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

January 26, 2022
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
Another set of all around movies of rare shabtis from the Royal Cache DB320
Taywheret      (Royal Cache) overseer Type 1
Taywheret      (Royal Cache) worker Type 2
Masaharta      (Royal Cache) worker Type 5 (new type)
Maatkara        (Royal Cache) worker Type 2
Henuttawy A  (Royal Cache) worker Type 1
Henuttawy A  (Royal Cache) worker Type 3
Maatkara        (Royal Cache) worker Type 1
German private collection
Courtesy AB 2022

January 24, 2022
Page Pharaoh shabtis :
Panoramaview Abydos King List with the common names of the pharao’s (wiki)

January 23, 2022
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
All around movie of a worker shabti (with throne name) of Pinedjem I and a photo to compare sides and backs
Courtesy: AB

January 23, 2022
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
All around movie of two special Worker 5 shabtis with mysterious faience, number onenumber two
Courtesy: AB

January 3, 2022
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
All around movies of two exceptionally well-preserved  overseer shabtis of Pinedjem I and Henuttawy A
Courtesy: AB

December 29, 2021
Page Royal Cache DB320 shabti owners :
All around movie of an unique example of a Maatkara overseer, daughter of Pinedjem I
Courtesy: AB

December 29, 2021
Page Rare and special shabtis :
All around movie of a bronze shabti  of general Undjebauendjed
Courtesy: AB

December 27, 2021
Page Rare and special shabtis
New photo’s and 360 degrees movie of the worker and overseer of Psusennes I
Courtesy: AB

December 20, 2021
Page How to determine the age of a shabti or ushabti
Thanks to a perceptive note in Louis-Philippe Bazelier’s graduate thesis, I have adjusted the dating of ear ornaments and pierced earlobes. In the past, I had incorrectly limited these features to the Amarna period

December 20, 2021
Page Rare and special shabtis
Added a rare bronze shabti Kafen and new photo’s of a bronze shabti named Iay with a 360 degrees movie
For Iay see update of June 6, 2022
Courtesy: AB

November 17, 2021
Unique Maatkara overseer
With long beard and cartouche
Faience, 11.1 cm
Private collection NH

February 5, 2021
Page ‘Bab el Gasus
On February 4, 1891, a startling discovery was made in Egypt that would stun the world’s media. After digging a deep shaft near the temple of Hatshepsut, a long gallery was found with more than 150 beautifully decorated coffins, shabti boxes and many other grave goods. All belonging to the highest elite from the priestly castes, including the sons and daughters of the rulers of the time.

Three thousand years ago, this highly secret tomb was filled at one go to give the deceased a secure hiding place to protect them from grave robbers.

More or less for the same security reasons the tomb had to be quickly emptied in 1891. In the process, much information was lost. Now, 130 years later, scientists from various museums and institutions are working to find out exactly what and who were found. An immense task coordinated in part by the Vatican Museum.

Many shabtis have also been found for which it was not known exactly which owner they belonged to. In many publications the information is fragmented, and an overall view was lacking. In 1998 Liliane Aubert made a first Bab el Gasus shabti publication and she thereby laid the foundation for further research.

Since 2006 I have been inspired by the research of Miguel Angel Escobar Clarós, Niek de Haan, Glenn Janes and Ingeborg Waanders. They, especially Miguel regarding Bab el Gasus, have done a tremendous amount of preliminary work which I have gratefully incorporated into my overview.

With new techniques such as digital scans of old publications, translation software and photos from many museums and the Internet, a huge web page has been created that provides almost all the known information about all types of shabtis found in Bab el Gasus.

It is therefore a great pleasure for me to launch this page. Exactly 130 years after the first coffin was recovered on February 5, 1891. I hope that many can use it for information, inspiration or further research.

Enjoy!