Shabti of Nesy-khonsu

Mummiform shabti wearing a tripartite wig with striations added in black. The arms are crossed right over left on the chest, and the hands hold a pair of small hoes added in black. A square–hatched rectangular basket is painted on the back. The face is rudimentarily defined, and has large eyes with brows in black. A wesekh collar is worn around the neck. The body of the shabti has five horizontal bands of fairly crudely written inscription naming the owner as Nesy–Khonsu, followed by a version of Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead (Spell for making shabtis do work in the afterlife). Nesy–Khonsu was a daughter of Smendes II, and also niece of Pinudjem II, both of whom were successive High–Priest’s of Amen at Thebes who ruled that part of Egypt during the 21st Dynasty. Nesy–Khonsu was perhaps a favoured member of the harem of Pinudjem II as she became his first wife. She bore him four children, before her death in Year 5 of the reign of Tanite king Si–Amun. Nesy–Khonsu was buried in the tomb known as the Royal Cache (DB 320) at Thebes, Deir el–Bahari. A lady of considerable importance, Nesy–Khonsu was Supreme Chief of the Harem of Amun, a title given on the present shabti. On a wooden stela also found in the Royal Cache she was also a Priestess of Khnum, Superintendent of the Southern Lands, and Vicereine of Nubia. The text is in five horizontal bands around the lower part of the body, within borders. It translates as: The Osiris, the Supreme Chief of the Harem of Amun, Nesy–Khonsu, justified, she speaks: O, these shabtis, if one counts, if one reckons Nesy–Khonsu to do the works that are to be done there in the realm of the dead – to irrigate the river banks, to cultivate the fields, to ferry the sand of the west to the east, {to ferry sand of the west to the east:} ‘here I am,’ when you call your female servant. Transliteration of the inscription: sHD Wsir Hr.y(t) wr(.t) Xnr.t tp(.yt) n Imn Nsy-xns.w mAa.t-xrw Dd.s i SAb.ty ipn.tw ip.tw ir Hsb.tw Nsy-xns.w r ir.t kA.t ir.t im m Xr.t-nTr r smH.yt wDb.w r srwD sx.t r Xn.t Say m imn.tt r iAb.tt {r Xn.t Say m imn.tt iAb.tt} m.k (wi) kA r bA.t,