155-56 SHAWABTI AND MODEL TOOLS OF WENENEFER

Glazed faience and bronze

From Abydos, Tomb D 1

YPM 6535, 6356.1-6; Gift of the Egypt Exploration Fund

The ancient Egyptians believed that there would be a need for regular agricultural work in the afterlife, just as there was in the Nile Valley. Each year when the flood waters subsided, new irrigation canals had to be cut and dikes rebuilt. These tasks were performed by conscripted labor, but it was possible for a man to avoid working if he could provide a substitute.

Shawabti figures were placed in tombs to serve as the owner's substitute worker in the netherworld. Typically, they carry hoes in their crossed arms and a basket for removing sand on their shoulders. The shawabti from the tomb of a man named Wenenefer was discovered with a set of bronze tools, perhaps intended to assist him in his labors.