Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, ca. 1070 to 712 BCE. Among the smallest we have ever seen, a miniature aqua blue faience mummiform ushabti with black-painted details. The wealthier nobility in Egyptian society were able to have ushabtis made of faience like this example, and blue faience was meant to reflect the color of the river Nile both on earth and in the afterlife. 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 provide us a fascinating glimpse into Egyptian beliefs in the afterlife - that, if given the correct provisions, the dead could avoid eternal labor. Size: 1" W x 2.25" H (2.5 cm x 5.7 cm)

Provenance: private A.G. collection, Chicago, Illinois, USA

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#128470

Losses to feet. Surface wear with abraded areas as shown.