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Lot Essay
The nine bands of finely-inscribed hieroglyphs around the body of the shabti read: “Recitation: Instructions of the Osiris Neferibre-saneith, Justified, born of Shepenbastet, Justified. He says: O ye (lit. “these”) Ushabtys, if the Osiris Neferibre-saneith born of Shepenbastet, Justified, is counted in order to do any work which is done there in the necropolis, since an obstacle is implanted there, as a man to his duty, ‘Here I am,’ thus shall ye say. If ye are counted at any time [to] serve, there in the Necropolis in order to cultivate the fields in order to, irrigate the river-banks, in order to convey sand of the West to the East and vice versa, ‘Here I am,’ thus shall ye say.”
The name Neferibre-Saneith is basilophorous, incorporating the name of a king, here Neferibre, the prenomen of Psamtek II of the 26th Dynasty. In all likelihood, the deceased was born during the reign of that king (595-589 B.C.).
The tomb of Neferibre-Saneith was discovered in 1929 at Saqqara, south of the funerary complex of King Ouserkaf (see E. Drioton and J.-Ph. Lauer, "Les tombes jumelées de Neferibrê-sa-neith et Ouahibrê-Men," Annales de Service des Antiquités de l'Égypte 51, pp. 469-490, and B. Porter and R. L. B. Moss, Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings, vol. III, pt. 2, p. 587). Along with the sarcophagus and three canopic jars, a total of 336 shabtis were discovered and removed, as recorded by J.-F. and L. Aubert: "a large number of these figurines were dispersed by the Service des Antiquités and found their way to public...and private collections" (Statuettes Egyptiennes, Chaouabtis, Ouchebtis, p. 230). This dispersal was completed by 1970, with the tomb mostly emptied by 1940.
Repeatedly lauded as being amongst the most beautiful shabtis of the Late Period, the Neferibre-Saneith's shabtis are praised by Aubert and Aubert for their "haughty countenance, energetic and refined," and their achievement of a "fine silhouette....with subtle contours." Other shabtis for Neferibre-Saneith are in various institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum.
The name Neferibre-Saneith is basilophorous, incorporating the name of a king, here Neferibre, the prenomen of Psamtek II of the 26th Dynasty. In all likelihood, the deceased was born during the reign of that king (595-589 B.C.).
The tomb of Neferibre-Saneith was discovered in 1929 at Saqqara, south of the funerary complex of King Ouserkaf (see E. Drioton and J.-Ph. Lauer, "Les tombes jumelées de Neferibrê-sa-neith et Ouahibrê-Men," Annales de Service des Antiquités de l'Égypte 51, pp. 469-490, and B. Porter and R. L. B. Moss, Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs, and Paintings, vol. III, pt. 2, p. 587). Along with the sarcophagus and three canopic jars, a total of 336 shabtis were discovered and removed, as recorded by J.-F. and L. Aubert: "a large number of these figurines were dispersed by the Service des Antiquités and found their way to public...and private collections" (Statuettes Egyptiennes, Chaouabtis, Ouchebtis, p. 230). This dispersal was completed by 1970, with the tomb mostly emptied by 1940.
Repeatedly lauded as being amongst the most beautiful shabtis of the Late Period, the Neferibre-Saneith's shabtis are praised by Aubert and Aubert for their "haughty countenance, energetic and refined," and their achievement of a "fine silhouette....with subtle contours." Other shabtis for Neferibre-Saneith are in various institutions, including The Metropolitan Museum of Art and the J. Paul Getty Museum.