Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, c. 1550–1069 B.C.

Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, c. 1550–1069 B.C.
Wood.
Provenance: old collector’s label: “El Ansah. Oushabti made of sycamore wood, found in the Nile, Ramesside period, no. 213.”
Measurements: 27 cm high; 30 cm with base.

Egyptian wooden ushabti from the New Kingdom, a period in which these funerary figures became a fundamental part of the deceased’s grave goods. The piece features a mummy-like body, a three-part wig, arms crossed over the chest, and traces of polychromy, with particular expressiveness in the face and the large painted eyes, which retain a remarkable visual impact.

Unlike the faience examples, wooden ushabtis possess a warmer and more direct quality, linked to the carving and the survival of the original polychromy. In this case, the figure’s frontal orientation, elongated silhouette, and the painted details on the body reflect the funerary tradition of the New Kingdom, when ushebti were conceived as magical servants of the deceased in the Afterlife.

According to the original collector’s label, the piece is made of sycamore wood and dates to the Ramesside period within the New Kingdom. Sycamore was a sacred wood in ancient Egypt, associated with regeneration and funerary protection, and was frequently used in the manufacture of coffins, statuettes, and other elements of the funerary equipment. This reference, along with the preservation of traces of polychromy and the presence of a painted inscription on the front, lends the work special documentary interest.