Shawabty of Ditamenpaankh
Unknown Artist
715–656 BCE
Medium
terracotta
Dimensions
4.1 × 1.6 × 1 cm
Classification
Funerary Equipment
Department
Egyptian and Ancient Near Eastern Art
Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Credit
Gift of the John Huntington Art and Polytechnic Trust
Accession Number
1914.718.38
About this artwork
High demand for shawabtys in the Late Period (when as many as 400 or more shawabtys were placed in a tomb), gave rise to a specialized container for storing them. This shawabty box was probably one of a pair originally made for the lady Ditamenpaankh. The single-masted boat on the lid may refer to the pilgrimage of the deceased to the holy city of Abydos, the cult city of Osiris, king of the dead. The sides are inscribed with the traditional shawabty spell charging the funerary servants with the...