Worker Shabti of Nauny
Unknown Artist
ca. 1050 B.C.
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
H. 8.7 × W. 3.2 × D. 2.2 cm (3 7/16 × 1 1/4 × 7/8 in.)
Classification
Shabti, worker, Nauny
Period
Third Intermediate Period
Department
Egyptian Art
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Rogers Fund, 1930
Accession Number
30.3.27.55
Art Historical Context
Step into the mystical world of ancient Egypt with the *Worker Shabti of Nauny*, a petite faience figurine from around 1050 B.C. Crafted during Dynasty 21 of the Third Intermediate Period, this shabti—meaning "answerer"—was designed as a magical servant for the afterlife. Belonging to Nauny, a noblewoman likely from Thebes, it represents one of many such figures buried with the elite to perform laborious tasks, freeing the deceased for eternal leisure. Inscribed with spells from the Book of the Dead, it was activated by ritual to "answer" its owner's call in the realm of Osiris. Faience, a vi...