Solid white marble Ushabti with encrustation. During Egypt's Middle Kingdom period, small statuettes began to be placed in the tombs of the deceased. These statuettes were intended to be servants that would magically come to life and do any unpleasant chore the deceased might be called upon to perform in the afterlife. During the New Kingdom, it was common to have hundreds placed in the more elaborate tombs. 26th Dynasty. At first, the statues were inscribed with only the name of the deceased, but soon they were inscribed with magical spells as well to assure that they would really come alive to do their chores. A typical spell would be: shawabti, if the deceased is called upon to do work in the next world, answer Here I am Plough the field, fill the canals with water and carry the sand of the east to the west.
525 BC
11 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Egyptian antiquities are gauranteed to be authentic and from the period stated. All of our artifacts come with a Certificate of Authenticity.
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