Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 19th to 20th Dynasty, ca. 1292 to 1069 BCE.
An exceptional wooden lid with a knob from a compartmental ushabti (shabti) box, originally used to house figurines meant to serve the deceased in the afterlife. The finely preserved hieroglyphic inscription allegedly translates to: "The Osiris, the songstress of Amun, Rudjawy, true of voice." This suggests that Rudjawy was the name a priestess / songstresses of Amun, a prestigious role in temple rituals, where she would have invoked divine protection and favor through sacred music. The surface retains traces of vibrant polychrome, including deep reds, blues, and yellows, characteristic of funerary craftsmanship during the Ramesside Period. A compartmental ushabti box is a wooden container designed to hold ushabtis (shabtis) - small funerary figurines placed in tombs to perform labor on behalf of the deceased. These boxes typically featured multiple compartments, organizing the shabtis according to their roles, such as worker shabtis and overseer shabtis. Size: 4.75" L (12.1 cm)
For an example of a complete ushabti box, please see the Metropolitan Museum of Art, object number: 25.3.17
Please note that this piece is a dropship item, meaning that it will be shipping from the consignor's location. All information regarding condition, size, and metal content have been provided by the consignor.
Provenance: private New York, New York, USA collection; ex-Bobo Bless (1940 - 2022) collection, Berlin, Germany, formed from the 1960s onwards
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#192649
Condition
Some fading to pigments, but excellent.