An Egyptian Faience Ushabti of Psamtik, Son of Mer-Neith and Overseer of the Scribes of the Royal Meals, early 27th Dynasty, circa 525-500 B.C.

holding the pick, hoe, and seed-sack, and wearing a braided beard and striated tripartite wig, his finely modeled face with full outlined lips deeply indented at the corners, broad nose, and large eyes with long  contoured eyebrows and cosmetic lines in relief, nine lines of inscription in front, the turquoise-blue glaze appearing pale green on the front.

William Tilden Blodgett (1823-1875)
by descent through the family and sold at auction in Charlotte, Vermont, November 18th, 1995

Very good and intact except for very minor chips on base, back pillar, and tip of the curled beard. The surface is superficially worn in areas and discolored as shown.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

The tomb of Psamtik, son of Mer-Neith, was excavated at Saqqara in 1860. His ushabtis were later dispersed by the Egyptian Antiquities Service and found their way into several major European museums as well as many private collections; see J.-F. and L. Aubert, Statuettes égyptiennes. Chaouabtis, ouchebtis, Paris, 1974, p. 240, and H.D. Schneider, Shabtis, part II, Leiden, 1977, p. 179, no. 5.3.1.137, pl. 60.

On William Tilden Blodgett see Hurst Gallery, A Passion for the Past: Historic Collections of Antiquities from Egypt and the Levant, Cambridge, Massachusetts, 1997, p. 34: "Co-founder, generous patron, and chairman of the first executive committee of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in the 1870s ... [he] made his fortune in the varnish business and through real estate investments. He was also a liberal-minded reformer, a leading abolitionist, and a founder of The Nation magazine. During the last years of his life, Blodgett resided in Europe where he distinguished himself by purchasing three important collections of 17th century Dutch paintings, which became the nucleus of the Metropolitan Museum's collection. An avid traveler and collector, he spent time in Upper Egypt in the 1870s (S.H. Tyng, In Memoriam, New York, 1875, p. 42) and assembled a substantial private art collection (C. Tomkins, Merchants and Masterpieces: The Story of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1970,  1970, pp. 31-46)."