Shabty of the Woman Ahhotep
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Object Label
Ahhotep, nicknamed Tuiu, was married to a temple official named Ineni. Her shabty probably came from the tomb the couple shared at Thebes. This statue’s wide eyes and large, clearly defined mouth resemble the facial features on images of Thutmose I, his daughter Hatshepsut, and figures of the great courtier Senenmut, who lived during Hatshepsut’s reign. These stylistic conventions are characteristic of most early Eighteenth Dynasty sculpture and do not reflect Ahhotep’s actual appearance.
Caption
Shabty of the Woman Ahhotep, ca. 1514–1425 B.C.E.. Limestone, 8 9/16 x 2 11/16 x 1 3/4 in. (21.7 x 6.9 x 4.5 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 37.122E. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 37.122E_NegB_glass_bw_SL4.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Shabty of the Woman Ahhotep
Date
ca. 1514–1425 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 18
Period
New Kingdom
Geography
Possible place made: Thebes, Egypt
Medium
Limestone
Classification
Dimensions
8 9/16 x 2 11/16 x 1 3/4 in. (21.7 x 6.9 x 4.5 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
37.122E
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
Frequent Art Questions
What is a shabti?
Shabties are small figurines that often look like little mummy figures. They are usually inscribed with magical spells that help them to perform various tasks in the underworld.They basically act as servants or personal assistants to a deceased person! They were buried with that person in order to help him/her in the next life.Like what tasks? Daily chores like a servant does?The deceased were expected to do work in the afterlife and shabties served as stand-ins so deceased souls could relax instead of working. For example, some of the shabties were specifically designed to perform "agricultural tasks" -- that is, farming!The English word "shabti" comes from the ancient Egyptian hieroglyphs meaning "the-one-who-replies."Who is Shabty?
Shabty isn't actually a who, but a what. A shabty is essentially a helper mummy, a small figurine of a servant. This figurine would be buried with an individual to help them with tasks like farming in the afterlife.
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