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Collections

Shawabti of Hekaemsaef, Captain of the Royal Fleet 26th Dynasty, reign of Amasis (570-526 BCE)

On view:
Geffen Galleries
Ancient Egyptian faience shabti sculpture with sage-green glaze, mummiform figure wearing a nemes headdress, arms crossed holding small implements, on a stepped rectangular base
Faience shabti figurine with green glaze, mummiform figure wearing a striped tripartite wig, arms crossed over chest holding implements, standing on a rectangular base.

Unknown, Shabti of Heka-em-saef, Captain of the Royal Fleet, 26th Dynasty, reign of Amasis, 569-526 BCE, Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Gift of Mrs. William Leon Graves, photo © Museum Associates/LACMA

Title
Shawabti of Hekaemsaef, Captain of the Royal Fleet
Place Made
Egypt, Saqqara
Date Made
26th Dynasty, reign of Amasis (570-526 BCE)
Medium
Faience
Dimensions
7 3/16 × 1 7/8 × 1 9/16 in. (18.3 × 4.8 × 3.9 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Mrs. William Leon Graves
Accession Number
45.23.42
Classification
Sculpture
Collecting Area
Egyptian Art
Curatorial Notes

The intact tomb of Hekaemsaef was discovered in the necropolis of Saqqara near the pyramid of Unas by the Egyptian Antiquities Service under Alexandre Barsanti in 1903. The undisturbed tomb contained a wealth of funerary items, including 401 shawabti. These small figurines, also called ushabti or shabti, were produced in great numbers in ancient Egypt. Tombs of the wealthy contained multiple shawabti and “overseer” figures to serve as servants for the deceased, magically performing agricultural duties such as planting, hoeing, or clearing fields from windblown sand.

Provenance: Excavated by Alexandre Barsanti, 1903; Gift of Mrs. William Leon Graves to LACMA, 1945.