Ca. 1069-720 BC. Third Intermediate Period. A blue-glazed faience shabti of the priest Pa-Di-Khonsu on a modern stand. A short, black-glazed wig rests on the moulded face, while the mummiform body is adorned with a broad collar formed of concentric circles in raised relief, above a pair of arms crossed over the chest. The legs column is inscribed on the front with black-glazed hieroglyphs saying, 'The Osiris, the god's father of Amun, Pa-Di-Khonsu, justified'. The term 'the Osiris' is often attached to the deceased individual in Egyptian funerary literature, as part of a human's journey to the next life included merging with the god Osiris; similarly, the term 'justified' (or, more literally, 'true of voice') was a title used exclusively for the dead. That Pa-Di-Khonsu is given the title 'god's father of Amun' shows he was a high-ranking priest; the Third Intermediate Period began with a period of national divide in which the priesthood of Amun effectively ruled southern Egypt, having wrestled a great deal of power from the Crown. Even after the country was reunited, this priesthood continued in power and prestige. The Egyptian idea of Paradise ('Sekhet Aaru' - 'the Field of Reeds') was an idealised reflection of Egypt itself, and this meant bountiful agriculture - something that required servants and farmhands to be taken to the afterlife. Shabti like this one were buried as grave goods, sometimes in groups of hundreds, to be brought to life for that very purpose. During this period, they were called upon using the Book of the Dead (chapter 6). Size: L:120mm / W:35mm ; 78g. Provenance: From the important collection of a London doctor A.R; passed by descent to his son; formerly acquired before 2000 on the UK art market.