Worker Shabti of Nauny
Unknown Artist
ca. 1050 B.C.
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
H. 8.9 × W. 3 × D. 2.2 cm (3 1/2 × 1 3/16 × 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
30.3.30.20
Art Historical Context
This petite faience shabti, or "worker" figurine, served as a devoted servant for Nauny, a high-ranking noblewoman from ancient Egypt's Third Intermediate PeriodDynasty 21, ca. 1050 B.C.). Standing just 8.9 cm tall, it was one of many such figures buried in her tomb near Thebes, designed to perform laborious tasks in the afterlife so the deceased could enjoy eternal rest. Crafted during a time of political fragmentation, when priestly families held sway in southern Egypt, these ushabtis reflected a democratizing trend in funerary practices—once elite privileges now more widely adopted. Made o...