Shabti of Diesehebsed, Sister of Mentuemhat

Funerary figurines, or shabtis, were included with the burial equipment as substitute laborers for the deceased. The figures were typically inscribed with a spell to magically animate them in the afterlife and were depicted with tools in hand and a basket slung over the shoulder, ready to do any tasks required of the deceased by the gods. Shabtis were made of a wide variety of materials, including faience, clay, metal, and wood. In high status tombs of the Third Intermediate Period, one shabti was supplied for every day of the year, along with 36 overseers, dressed in flaring kilts and carrying a whip in one hand to manage the large workforce.