Egyptian Shabtis (Shire Egyptology) (ISBN 0747803013)

An excellent refernce; a must-have for the collector:
This book is a short but very comprehensive presentation of Egyptian ushabtis, and contains much information not readily found elsewhere. It discusses the nature and uses of the ushabti, their evolution from their initial appearances through to the end of the Ptolemaic Period. Perhaps the most valuable section is a chart and discussion showing by dynasty the use of the various materials used in making ushabtis, the form of dress, the headdress and equipment held by the ushabti. While most of the available ushabtis are from the Late Period, the chart will help date those that are not. For example, wood was generally not used after the 20th dynasty, while the back pillar was not introduced until about the 22nd dynasty. The book contains a few photos, all of which are monochrome, and a number of sketches showing, for example, the different types of headdresses used for ushabtis. This book is highly recommended, particularly at its very modest price.

An excellent introduction:
Whether you're an aspiring collector or a reader with an penchant for ancient Egyptian funerary art, this book fills an inexpensive much desired niche making a superb preliminary introduction before investing in the CD Rom accompanied publication, Glenn Janes, Shabtis a Private View, or more comprehensive difficult to obtain out of print volumes such as Hans D. Schneider's, Shabtis; (or Flinders Petrie, Shabtis; Aubert, J.F, Egyptiennes, chaouabtis, ouchebtis; Luis Manuel de Araujo, Estatuetas Funerarias Egipcias da XXI Dinastia; Percy E Newberry, etc etc). All these volumes are more than worth their weight however what makes this book so very surprising is it's diminutive size. At only 64 pages it contains useful information that years after purchase, I admit I still refer to. The background text is basic yet comprehensive. The chronology of shabti features according to material (wood, stone, faience, pottery, clay, glass, copper/bronze), form (daily dress, overseer, back pillar), headdress (duplex wig, seshed headband), equipment (hoes, pick & hoe, bags front, bag at back, bag over shoulder, yoke with pots, brick mould), and symbol, with accompanying illustrations are invaluable in dating, both for new collectors wanting to discern tourist souvenirs from genuine antiquities or those expanding their shabti collection into a different dynastic period. Of particular interest also are the variants on the shabti spell in hieroglyphs. I'd give this book 4 stars when compared to the abovementioned publications however at 64 pages acknowledge it would be wholly unreasonable to compare a mammoth hi-tech lavishly illustrated volume with a condensed booklet and for it's size I'd be hard-pressed to conceive how any more information could be compressed into this small succinct Shire Publication without considerable loss to existing information or consistency. Yes there are better books out there and yes, this information is available elsewhere but not as a focused introduction, and not at this modest price. If you're intrigued by shabtis, worth noting is the Shire Publication by Paul T.Nicholson, Egyptian Faience & Glass, in this same series which makes an inexpensive, ideal complementary volume with regards the basic methods of manufacture.

very informative and useful reference:
This short book provides much information about the Egyptian shabtis, figurines created to act for the deceased in the afterlife. The author explains their manufacture in wood, stone, Egyptian faience and other materials; he also traces their evolution from the Middle Kingdom to the Ptolemaic Period. Inscriptions and spells are briefly discussed. This is a very useful reference for students, Egyptologists and art historians.

The book every shabti owner should buy:
Anyone considering buying shabtis needs to have some guidance due to the large amount of forgeries on the market. This book discusses materials and visual characteristics that can help place the dynastic period of the shabti. Unfortunately, this is far from a comprehensive book. It includes too many ilustrations, and too few actual pictures. I have seen many of the photos that the illustrations are drawn from so I can only assume reprint permission could not be obtained. This does hurt the overall quality of this book. This is however the best book I have read on the subject, so until there is a revision or a better book published, this is the shabti book to buy.