Important Wood Statue of the Wab Priest Neb-Mehit

Culture: Egyptian

Period: New Kingdom, 19th dynasty, 1292-1186 B.C.

Material: Wood

Dimensions: 21.3 cm high

Price: 28 000 Euro

Ref: 1546

Provenance: From an old French private collection, due to the mounting possibly acquired in the 1970s to 1980s. Thence Galerie Puhze, acquired 2001 in France. With a copy of the French export passport. Published on the cover of the catalogue 16 of Galerie Puhze, Freiburg 2002, number 256. On 18 July 2003 acquired by the German collection Erika Krautkrämer (1932-2022). Thence in a family estate. With the original certificate of authenticity of Galerie Puhze.

Condition: Feet are worn in the front, as seen on the picture. An old, stable stress crack in the wood, which runs behind the right ear, through the right half of the back to the backside. Overall, very well preserved.

Description: Magnificently preserved and polychrome painted hard wood statuette of the Wab priest Neb-Mehit dating to the New Kingdom. Neb-Mehit is shaven, has red-brown skin colour, stands straight and holds in his left hand a heart amulet, which hangs on a thread around his neck. He wears a white long apron, which is draped over the left shoulder and has a trapezoidal front part. On this part runs a vertically engraved and with black colour intensified hieroglyphic inscription. It reads: “Osiris, the purifying priest (wab priest) and god father in the house of the King of Upper Egypt, Neb-Mehit.” Wab priests had the task to carry offerings, music instruments and holy cult objects to the shrine or altar and to clean them. They had to be chaste, shaved themselves from head to toe and bathed twice during the day and twice during the night. Also, their clothes had to be impeccably clean, and must not be of animal skin or fur. Wab priests were not allowed to eat pork, beans or fish. An important depiction of a priest dating to the Ramesside period. On an old wood base.