332 Shabtis for As-ankh, singer of Amun-Re

Label TextAncient Egyptians believed that, as in life, there would be work to do in the afterlife, so it was an important aspect of their funerary practices to place substitute workers in the tomb. Called shabtis, shawabtis, or ushebtis, they were servant statues. People of many social classes had such figures buried with them, so they vary in size, materials, artistic quality, and number. A tomb could include many shabtis. A collection might include an overseer for every ten workers, and a worker for each day of the year. Larger shabtis would be set in niches carved in the tomb wall, while smaller ones—like this set—would be stored in a box.Published ReferencesPeck, William H., Sandra E. Knudsen and Paula Reich, Egypt in Toledo: The Ancient Egyptian Collection at the Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo, Toledo Museum of Art, 2011, p. 54-55, repr. (col.).Exhibition HistoryToledo Museum of Art, The Egypt Experience: Secrets of the Tomb, October 29, 2010-January 8, 2012.

Toledo Museum of Art, The Mummies: From Egypt to Toledo, February 3- May 6, 2018.