Egypt, Late Dynastic to Ptolemaic Period, ca. 4th to 3rd century BCE. A fine ushabti figure formed from faience that stands in mummiform atop an integral rectangular plinth with a T-shaped hieroglyphic inscription on the obverse. The figure exhibits fused legs and feet as well as a pick and hoe held in hands crossed atop the chest. The finely detailed face features almond-shaped eyes, rounded cheeks, and a plaited false beard, all beneath a tripartite wig with lengthy lappets draped atop the shoulders. The glaze coloration of this figure was perhaps originally yellow-green or turquoise-hued, however exposure to a fire - purportedly within its tomb - has rendered it a glossy dark green, nearly black hue. Size: 5.3" H (13.5 cm)
Ushabti dolls are figures shaped like adult male or female mummies wearing traditional ancient Egyptian headdresses. The ancient Egyptians believed that after they died, their spirits would have to work in the "Field of Reeds" owned by the god of the underworld, Osiris. This meant doing agricultural labor - and it was required by all members of society, from workers to pharaohs. The wealthier nobility in Egyptian society were able to have shabtis made of faience.
Provenance: private Beverly Hills, California, USA collection; ex-private Swiss collection, since the early 1990s
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#172383
Condition
Chipping to nose, hands, and tip of beard. Glaze darkened due to fire exposure, purportedly within a tomb. Nice preservation to glyphs.