Anonymous Shawabti Limestone, traces of paint New Kingdom, Dynasty 18, reign of Thutmose IV or Amunhotep III Provenance not known Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, Brooklyn #37.121E Photo © Joan Ann Lansberry, May 2008-2016

From the info card "A shawabti was supposed to take the place of its owner whenever heavy labor was required in the afterlife. This finely detailed example carries two hand hoes, two baskets, and a yoke. It is unusual for so fine a shawabti to lack the owner's name, which bound it in eternal service to the individual. There are traces of paint on the eyes and eyebrows; perhaps the name was also painted. The damage at the bottom of the chin, apparently caused by the removal of a beard, suggests that this shawabti was originally made for a man and later reworked for a woman."