Ushabtis (also known as Shabtis or Shawabtis) are small figurines that were used as funerary goods in ancient Egypt. They were commonly made out of wood, clay, wax or stone - but as the dynasties progressed, Egyptian faience became the preferred material. The practice of using Ushabtis originated during the Old Kingdom (c. 2600 - 2100 BCE), but in the beginning the ushabtis - or the practice of using them - were actually life sized reserve heads which were usually made out of limestone.
The ancient Egyptians believed that the ushabti, when placed in a tomb, would act as a servant for the deceased in the afterlife. They were meant to perform any and all labors demanded by their master no matter the request. This was why nobles and royalties placed one ushabti in their tomb for each day of the year. By doing so they made sure that someone would always be there to attend to their needs. It is also not uncommon to see them holding agricultural tools in each of their hands as well as having a netted basket slung over their back.
Most ushabtis have been inscribed with the name of their master as well as hieroglyphic prayers that contain their assignments and obligations. Usually it was the sixth chapter of the book of the dead were inscribed on the figurine: “llumine 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, 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".” (The Papyrus of Ani, Translated by E.A. Wallis Budge).
Text: Christoffer Ek. MENAM Archaeology. Copyright 2023.
Image: Christoffer Ek. The ushabti seen in the picture above can be found at the Petrie Museum in London
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