Ancient Egypt, Late Dynastic Period, 26th Dynasty, ca. 664 to 525 BCE. A fabulous faience ushabti standing with tall, mummiform stature atop an integral rectangular plinth, with the name Imhotep inscribed in the top line of hieroglyphs. The dignified individual presents with a smooth chest, holding a finely detailed pick and hoe in crossed arms, and with a thatched seed bag draped behind the left shoulder. His amicable face exhibits almond-shaped eyes with elongated canthi, a slender nose with delineated nostrils, indented mouth corners, cupped ears, and a plaited false beard, all framed within the striated lappets of his tripartite wig. Nine horizontal bars of inscribed hieroglyphics identify the figure as a man named Imhotep - likely named after the famous architect some 2000 years prior - and gives blessings and commands concurrent with Chapter 6 of the Egyptian Book of the Dead. Size: 1.8" W x 7.4" H (4.6 cm x 18.8 cm)

Ushabti (or shabti) 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 which was typically covered in blue or blue-green glaze like this example; its color was meant to reflect the color of the river Nile both on earth and in the afterlife.

Ushabti were first introduced in the Middle Kingdom as substitutes for the mummy in case it was destroyed. During the Second Intermediate Period inscribed wooden figures called shawabtis (after the Egyptian word for wood, shawab) began to be placed in tombs. During the New Kingdom, ushabti assumed a new role as servant figures for the deceased. They were now depicted with agricultural equipment. By the Third Intermediate Period, the number of shabti placed in the tomb was set at 401 (365 workers and 36 overseers). During the Late Period the tomb figures became known as ushabtis ('answerers'), these figures represented servants who would magically answer when called upon to perform agricultural duties for the Pharaoh (in the form of Osiris) in the afterlife. Their main function was to ensure the individual's comfort and freedom from daily labor in the next life.

This piece has been tested using thermoluminescence (TL) analysis and has been found to be ancient and of the period stated. A full printed and bound report will accompany the item upon purchase.

Provenance: ex-John Hurter collection, Palm Springs, California, USA, prior to 1995

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#178926

Minor pitting, fading to glaze pigment, and softening to some finer details and hieroglyphs, otherwise intact and excellent. Nice preservation to most hieroglyphs. TL drill holes beneath base and above dorsal pillar.