A rare Egyptian Alabaster Shabti for Pharaoh Ramesses VII, New Kingdom, 20th Dynasty, ca. 1136–1129 BCE

Carved from fine alabaster, this rare royal shabti depicts Pharaoh Ramesses VII in mummiform pose with arms crossed over the chest. The face is modeled with care, enhanced by painted details including black-lined eyes, a delicate nose, and red lips beneath a long tripartite wig. Traces of the original pigment in red, green, and black are preserved across the surface, particularly highlighting the facial features and the vertical inscription. Down the front of the figure are two painted cartouches enclosed within a vertical register. The first reads Usermaatre Setepenre, the prenomen of Ramesses VII, while the second gives his nomen, Ramesses. These cartouches firmly identify the shabti as belonging to the short-reigned son of Ramesses VI, one of the last pharaohs of Egypt’s New Kingdom. Royal shabtis of alabaster are particularly scarce, with most known examples executed in faience. This piece thus represents a highly unusual and desirable survival from the late Ramesside period. Mount