Sarah Russ

 

The Provenance of Shabti 17-2-1185: 

Analysis of King Senkamanisken’s Burial Figure 

 

Abstract: The provenance of King Senkamanisken’s burial shabti, henceforth known as shabti 17-2-1185, has not been explored extensively up until recent years. This research aims to make clear the history of shabti 17-2-1185 so that future scholars and researchers will be able to trace the history of ownership of the object from a singular document. As such, this paper will trace the history of shabti 17-2-1185 from the point of its burial and rediscovery, through the hands of multiple owners, and finally to its current home at the Allard Pierson in Amsterdam. 

In addition, this research will trace the value of shabti 17-2-1185 from its first point of sale to its last, when possible. Understanding the social and institutional value of shabti 17-2-1185 is an important aspect of the object's history as it is a determining factor in how the object was displayed. As how objects are displayed plays a large role in the documentation of objects, tracing the provenance of an object through photos and write ups is determined by the perceived cultural and institutional value of the object. Such notions of value played a key role in the documentation of shabti 17-2-1185 and impacted the research which was conducted. 

 

Bio: ​​Sarah Russ was born and raised in Vancouver, British Columbia and is a member of the Haida Nation. She is a graduate of the University of British Columbia where she obtained a BA in Anthropology and First Nations and Indigenous Studies. Ms. Russ has interned with the Bill Reid Gallery of Northwest Coast Art and the Eagle Spirit gallery and has collaborated on an exhibition (‘Cadeau, Hoezo?) with the Tropenmuseum. Within the framework of her masters in Museum Studies at UvA, Ms. Russ’ focus is on the collaboration of museum between ‘source communities’ and museum institutes in addition to provenance research.