Shabti of the Treasurer of Lower Egypt Pa-abumeh, called Psamtik-seneb

Shabti of the Treasurer of Lower Egypt Pa-abumeh, called Psamtik-seneb

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Although there a number of shabtis for Pa-abumeh in collections around the world, including 22 in Cairo and eight at The Met, the location of his tomb is not known. As a Treasurer of the King of Lower Egypt and King's Acquaintance, it is possible that he was buried at Saqqara, where many of the highest officials of his time had their tombs. No two of Pa-abumeh's shabtis at The Met are identical, but all are mummiform, with the arms crossed over the chest and the hands and head emerging from the wrappings. The features of the faces are generally well-defined, and the strap that holds the long divine beard to the chin can be seen in several examples, including this one. The shabti holds agricultural tools in both hands; from the right hand, a twisted cord leads to a basket behind the left shoulder. Ten horizontal lines of inscription cover the body and legs, wrapping around to meet on either side of the back pillar. The beginning of the text gives Pa-abumeh's name and "good name" (Psamtik-seneb) and titles, and identifies his father as Aakha and his mother as Tawepetnefert. This is followed by Spell 6 from the Book of the Dead, in which Pa-abumeh speaks to his shabtis, asking that they present themselves on his behalf if there is agricultural work to be done in the realm of the dead.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Shabti of the Treasurer of Lower Egypt Pa-abumeh, called Psamtik-senebShabti of the Treasurer of Lower Egypt Pa-abumeh, called Psamtik-senebShabti of the Treasurer of Lower Egypt Pa-abumeh, called Psamtik-senebShabti of the Treasurer of Lower Egypt Pa-abumeh, called Psamtik-senebShabti of the Treasurer of Lower Egypt Pa-abumeh, called Psamtik-seneb

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.