Funerary Figurine of Ramesses II

Ramesses II, one of Egypt's mightiest pharaohs, left countless monuments throughout the Nile Valley. Ironically, however, his tomb in the Valley of the Kings at Thebes has yielded few funerary figurines (known as shabtis, shawabtis, or ushebtis, depending on the spelling in the text on the particular example), having been plundered in Dynasty XX and not yet completely excavated. This is one of only three wooden examples known. Inscribed with Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead, the text associated with funerary figurines, it resembles many fine statuettes from Deir el Medineh, the Theban home of the craftsmen who built and decorated the royal tombs in the Valley of the Kings.