Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, ca. 1070 to 712 BCE. A stunning miniature deep blue faience mummiform ushabti with molded hieroglyphs on its lower body and black-painted details on its head, back, and arms. Ushabtis role was to perform the laborious task of farming Osiris's fields after death in lieu of their deceased owner. A full set of ushabtis had 365 workers, one for each day of the year, and thirty-six overseers who were responsible for coordinating the workers. These figures give us a fascinating glimpse into Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife - that, if given the correct provisions, the dead could avoid eternal labor. These provisions are both startlingly practical - agricultural workers must have an overseer - and yet abstract, with the overseer and worker figures all small relative to the size of real humans and made of faience. Comes with custom stand. Size: 0.65" W x 2.2" H (1.7 cm x 5.6 cm); height on stand: 3" (7.6 cm)

Provenance: private Ben Harer, MD, collection Seattle, Washington, USA; ex Superior Stamp & Coin; 1975, Ex Drexel University collection, Philadelphia, USA, 1916; Ex Altan-Bulag Museum, Mongolia, 1894

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#124480

Figure is intact, with clear details. A small accession number is written in black paint on the lower back, near what looks like some red paint that wore onto the body of the ushabti.