An Egyptian Polychrome Alabaster Votive Ushabti of Prince Khaemwaset, 19th Dynasty, reign of Ramesses II, 1279-1213 B.C.

French private collection, Paris, acquired in 1940

Jean Deriat, Paris, acquired from the above in 1960

London private collection, acquired from the above

Galerie Cybèle, Paris, acquired from the above in 2007

acquired by the present owner from the above

"Am Hofe des Pharaoh. Von Amenophis I. bis Tutanchamun," Palma de Majorca, Palacio del Arte, May 4th-October 27th, 2002

For ushabtis of Khaemwaset in different stones see Collombert op. cit., pp. 232-237, nos. 1-3. A fragmentary ushabti of his in the Petrie Museum (UC 40502) is engraved on the back with a formula almost identical with the one on the back of the present lot (Pasquali, op. cit., p. 360, note 14).

It has been suggested that the present figure, with its highly unusual back pillar in the form of a djed pillar, may have been intended as a votive deposit rather than as a mere ushabti. This is corroborated by the close similarities of its back-pillar inscription with those equally finely engraved on an alabaster votive foundation plaque from the West Hall of the main temple at Memphis, the Enclosure of the ka of Ptah, which Khaemwaset restored for his father's five jubilee festivals. This plaque bears the name of Ramesses II on the front and back and of Khaemwaset on both of the edges (W. M. Flinders Petrie, Memphis I, London, 1909, p. 8, pl. 19); Petrie describes it and two other plaques found with it (one in faience, the other in granite) as "some of the finest block deposits that are known." The same could be said of the present lot. The quality of its alabaster, its size, iconography, and dedicatory inscription make it a significant example of New Kingdom votive art during the reign of Ramesses the Great.

Published

Andrea-Cristina Thiem, ed., Am Hofe des Pharaoh. Von Amenophis I. bis Tutanchamun, exh. cat., Munich, 2002, p. 78, fig. 75

Stéphane Pasquali, "Le dépôt extra-sépulcral trouvé par Fl. Petrie à Gizâ-sud," Revue d'égyptologie, vol. 59, 2008, p. 360, note 14 (as calcite)

Philippe Collombert, "La 'formule de Khâemwaset," in Ph. Collombert, L. Coulon, I. Guermeur, and Chr. Thiers, eds., Questionner le sphinx. Mélanges offerts à Christiane Zivie-Coche, vol. 1 (Institut français d'archéologie orientale), Cairo, 2021, p. 259, no. 15, fig. 14a-b (as calcite)