Description:

Egypt, Third Intermediate period, 21st to 25th Dynasty, ca. 1069 to 653 BCE. A petite pale turquoise ushabti figure molded from faience, its soft green-blue hue delicately mottled with traces of darker pigment. The figure stands mummiform with arms crossed over the chest, each hand emerging subtly from the shroud-like body, and holding a pair of hoes with a seed bag over the proper left shoulder. The facial features are lightly modeled, showing a stylized visage framed by a tripartite wig. Black hieroglyphs are painted in a vertical register along the front of the body, though now only partially legible, preserving a portion of the owner's identity and the traditional spell requesting the ushabti to perform labor in the afterlife on behalf of the deceased. Size: 1" L x 1.3" W x 4.1" H (2.5 cm x 3.3 cm x 10.4 cm)

Ushabtis (or shabtis) were ritual funerary figurines placed in tombs among the grave goods to serve the deceased in the afterlife, often depicted holding agricultural implements. During the Third Intermediate Period, ushabtis grew smaller and more numerous, often inscribed with a version of Chapter 6 from the Book of the Dead. Faience was a popular material for these figures, admired for its luminous surface and symbolic connection to life-giving properties and regeneration. This small yet significant figure would once have stood among a group, embodying eternal service for the soul it was buried with.

Provenance: private Las Vegas, Nevada, USA collection, acquired in August 2017 via Ancient Resource LLC, Los Angeles, California, USA; ex-Nomis Antiquities, Van Nuys, California, USA

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#194758

  • Condition: Chipping to head and feet with weathering to surface as shown, as well as a few stable, hairline surface fissures. Otherwise, intact and very nice with liberal remaining pigments.

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June 5, 2025 8:00 AM MDT
Louisville, CO, US

Artemis Fine Arts

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Bid Increments
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$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000