Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, Late Period, c. 664–332 B.C.

Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, Late Period, c. 664–332 B.C.
Faience.
Measurements: 14 cm tall.

Egyptian ushabti made of faience, dating to the Late Period, a time when these funerary figures continued to play an essential role in the deceased’s grave goods. The piece features a mummy-shaped body, a three-part wig, arms crossed over the chest, and a hieroglyphic inscription arranged in horizontal registers on the front.

Ushebti figures were conceived as magical servants of the deceased in the Afterlife. Their function was to respond in the deceased’s place when he was called upon to perform agricultural work or ritual tasks, hence their frequent depiction with labor tools and inscribed formulas linked to the funerary world.

Faience, with its bluish or greenish hue, held strong symbolic value in ancient Egypt, associated with regeneration, fertility, water, and life. In this example, the surface retains an archaeological patina and traces of glaze, with wear typical of its age, maintaining a notable devotional and funerary presence.