ANCIENT EGYPT . AFFORDABLE TERRACOTTA USHABTI , 1075 - 600 B.C
THIRD INTERMEDIATE PERIOD
Ushabtis
Ancient Egyptian religion held that when a soul passed from the realm of the living to that of the dead it could be called upon to tend the fields of Osiris—the divine ruler of the Egyptian underworld. Of course, after spending a full lifetime of toil, most Egyptians hoped that they would be able to relax and enjoy themselves once they were dead. Therefore, to avoid undue work in the afterlife, Egyptian kings and commoners alike normally had themselves buried with numerous ushabtis (called shabtis before the 21st Dynasty, c. 1077-943 BC), figurines that were intended to answer the summons of Osiris in place of the deceased. It has been suggested that these figures may have served to replace the sacrifice of living servants to attend the dead in the afterlife.
Ushabtis were usually mummiform, but their intention to work was made clear by the hoe usually carried over their shoulders and the basket on their backs. They were commonly inscribed with the name of the deceased inserted into the sixth chapter of the Book of the Dead, which reads: “Illumine the Osiris [name of the deceased], whose word is truth. Hail, Shabti Figure! If the Osiris [name of the deceased] be decreed to do any of the work which is to be done in Khert-Neter (the Egyptian underworld), let everything which standeth in the way be removed from him- whether it be to plough the fields, or to fill the channels with water, or to carry sand from the East to the West. The Shabti Figure replieth: "I will do it, verily I am here when thou callest.” Such inscribed ushabtis are known from Egyptian burials as early as the 11th Dynasty (c. 2134-1991 BC) but they became ubiquitous during the 21st Dynasty and later. They continued to be used to buy the dead leisure time in the underworld until the ascendency of Christianity abolished traditional Egyptian religion in the sixth century AD.
The figurines were made in many different sizes and materials, including wax, clay, wood, stone, and enamel. However, the most common and most popularly collected varieties today were made from faience—a type of sintered-quartz ceramic with a distinctive and beautiful blue or blue-green colour that was intended to imitate highly sought-after semiprecious stones like turquoise and lapis lazuli. Depending on the wealth and status of the deceased, ushabtis could be true miniature works of art lovingly crafted by skilled artisans. Those of lesser rank and wealth made due with lower quality ushabtis mass-produced from moulds capable of making many figurines at one time.
Regardless of the level of craftsmanship, ushabtis are wonderful to collect for anyone with an interest in ancient Egypt. Not only does the colour of the faience make them beautiful to look at, but the ushabtis also put us in touch with the funerary religion that has made the Egyptians a source of fascination to outsiders since antiquity. Even better, they connect us to real people, whose names can still be read, once one learns to read hieratic or demotic script.
DIMENSIONS:
4.0 X 1.4 CM .
CONDITION:
NO REPAIRS. NO RESTORATION. AS SHOWN.
