Ramesside Dynasty Egyptian Polychromed Ushabti New Kingdom Decorative

Ancient Egyptian wooden Ushabti with funerary coffin, carved polychromed wood, New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 1292-1185 BC. Shabti measuring 18cm For a similar example see: the shabti coffin of Sennedjem in the Pushkin State Museum for Art, accession no. I.1.a 1662 Wear and flaking to paint throughout. Some small chips. Some natural wood splits. Please refer to images. An Egyptian ushabti, also known as shabti or shawabti, is a small funerary figurine that was commonly placed in tombs and burial sites in ancient Egypt. The term "ushabti" is derived from the ancient Egyptian word "wsḥb," which means "answerer." These figurines were intended to serve the deceased in the afterlife by performing any manual labor required. Ushabtis typically depicted a mummified figure, often with agricultural tools such as hoes or baskets, indicating the work they were expected to perform on behalf of the deceased. The belief was that in the afterlife, the deceased would be called upon to do various tasks, and the ushabti would come to life and act as a substitute for the deceased, fulfilling those duties. These figurines became more elaborate over time, with inscriptions from the Book of the Dead or other funerary texts written on them. The inscriptions were intended to provide magical instructions to ensure the ushabti's compliance with the deceased's needs in the afterlife.