Box for Shabties

ca. 1075–656 B.C.E.

1 of 4

Object Label

The box inscribed for a priest named Ankhef[en]khons once contained small figurines, known as shabties. These figurines (on view in the nearby gallery) were intended to perform tasks for the deceased in the afterlife. Because the number of shabties in a tomb could reach into the hundreds, the figurines were commonly deposited in shrine-shaped containers, such as this one.

Caption

Box for Shabties, ca. 1075–656 B.C.E.. Wood, pigment , 16 7/8 x 20 3/8 x 13 in. (42.8 x 51.7 x 33 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.1524E. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Title

Box for Shabties

Date

ca. 1075–656 B.C.E.

Dynasty

Dynasty 21 to Dynasty 22

Period

Third Intermediate Period

Geography

Reportedly from: Thebes, Egypt

Medium

Wood, pigment

Classification

Container

Dimensions

16 7/8 x 20 3/8 x 13 in. (42.8 x 51.7 x 33 cm)

Credit Line

Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund

Accession Number

37.1524E

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