Ramesses VI (Neb-maat-Re Mery-Amun¹)

Mummiform statuette of the “contour perdu” or “peg shabti” type, characteristic of the reigns of some of the last Ramessides of the dynasty.

It displays a barely visible tripartite wig. The facial features are perceptible, with the eye contours and the mouth cleft standing out. The painted outline of the left ear is still visible. The elongated arms are barely discernible, crossed with the left over the right. The hands are not visible. On the back, only traces of wax corresponding to the wig are visible. Below the arms and framed by a vertical line appear the remains of the inscription.

The feet are not defined, with a visible crack running from the lower right to the back.

By comparison with other similar examples, we can read the rest of the statuette.

Statuette acquired at auction², as part of a single lot of two alabaster pieces. The cataloger failed to correctly identify the name and importance of the figure.

Ramesses VI, fifth king of Dynasty XX, was the son of Ramesses III and his wife Isis. His tomb is located in the Valley of the Kings (KV9). The reign of Ramesses VI lasted eight years, the longest of his brothers (Ramesses IV and V). His mummy was found in the tomb of Amenhotep II (KV 35, used as a cache).

There has been debate about the reason for this crude and simplistic form of shabtis called “without contour,” with the most widespread opinion being that it corresponds to the decline of the country, which began with Ramesses IV.

This example bears an inscription similar to specimen M13943 featured in Janes 2016, p.107.

On its back it preserves two labels from its former owners. One of them reads: Egyptian style ushabti figure, inscr. reads “Lord of the Two Lands” and then an unreadable name