Mummy-shaped ushabti; Egypt, New Kingdom, 1539–1077 B.C.

Mummy-shaped ushabti; Egypt, New Kingdom, 1539–1077 B.C.
Wood.
Measurements: 20 x 6 x 3 cm.
Mummy-shaped Egyptian ushabti from the New Kingdom, crafted as a funerary figure intended to accompany the deceased into the Afterlife and perform tasks in their stead according to ancient Egyptian beliefs. The piece features a three-part wig, one of the most characteristic attributes of Egyptian iconography, as well as visible traces of polychromy on the head, which attest to the original chromatic richness of this type of object.Ushebti figurines were an essential part of the funerary equipment and were placed in tombs to symbolically serve the deceased in agricultural and ritual tasks in the underworld. Their mummy-like form reinforces their association with death and regeneration, fully integrating them into the Egyptian conception of the transition to eternal life.
The New Kingdom of Egypt (1539–1077 BCE) represents one of the most brilliant and sophisticated periods in the history of Egyptian art, characterized by an extraordinary artistic output linked to pharaonic power, religion, and the funerary world.During this period, art achieved a high degree of technical refinement and a clear consolidation of its stylistic conventions, though with moments of notable innovation. Sculpture is characterized by the idealization of the pharaoh and the deities, depicted with perfect bodies, balanced proportions, and a strong symbolic charge that underscores their divine nature. Also noteworthy are the colossal representations, such as temple statues and monumental reliefs depicting military campaigns and religious rituals.