Large Mummy-shaped Servant - Wooden Ushabti - 35cm High - Archaeology Egypt

Large Ushabti from the Ramesside Period An ushabti is a funerary figurine from ancient Egypt, usually made of clay, wood, or stone. These figurines were placed in the tombs of the deceased and were intended to serve the deceased in the afterlife. The word "ushabti" literally means "one who responds" in ancient Egyptian, referring to their function as assistants to the deceased in the afterlife. Ushabtis were often inscribed with a magical formula or invocations, asking them to perform agricultural work or other tasks for the deceased so that the latter could rest in the afterlife. Their number in a tomb could vary, ranging from a few figurines to several hundred. The large size of our ushabti is not common. At 35cm in height, it is one of the large formats. Made of palm wood, the ushabti is polychrome. A red slip covers most of the body. The headdress and the kohl of the eyes are black. The cartouche on the chest is written in black on a beige background. It has not yet been translated. This mummiform ushabti has the (rare) particularity of not having been repainted in the modern period. It comes with its black metal base custom-made by Armand Bonnafond (BAM) 35cm high Ramesside period circa 1200-1000 BC Provenance: private collection in Tarn. Acquired in the 1970s by the previous owner.