Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, c. 1069–945 B.C.

Ushebti. Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, c. 1069–945 B.C.
Faience.
Condition: Intact.
Provenance: Acquired from P. E. Becker on August 6, 1998. Private collection, France.
Publications: A copy of the original invoice dated August 5, 1998, from antiquarian Pierre-Eric Becker is attached.
Certifications: A report on the piece’s antiquity, issued by a Spanish Egyptologist, is attached.
Measurements: 9.5 cm high; 12.2 cm with base.

Egyptian ushabti made of blue faience, dating to the Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty. The figure adopts the mummy-like form characteristic of these funerary sculptures, with the body wrapped in a tight shroud and the arms crossed over the chest. The face, with schematic features and a hieratic expression, is framed by a three-part wig indicated by dark lines, while the front surface bears a vertical hieroglyphic inscription painted in black.

The piece stands out for the chromatic intensity of the faience, with its brilliant blue hue—a material particularly associated in ancient Egypt with ideas of regeneration, fertility, and rebirth. The vitreous surface, together with the details painted in dark pigment, reinforces the object’s magical and funerary character, conceived not only as a representation of the deceased but also as an active figure within the grave goods intended for life in the afterlife.

Ushebtis, also known as shabtis or shawabtis depending on the period and context, were funerary figurines placed in tombs to serve the deceased in the Afterlife. Their function was to replace the owner when he was called upon to perform labor, especially agricultural tasks associated with the field of Osiris. On many examples, the inscription includes formulas inspired by Chapter VI of the Book of the Dead, through which the figure was magically activated to respond on behalf of the deceased.

During the 21st Dynasty, the production of ushabti figurines became widespread, with examples made primarily of blue or greenish faience and decorated with painted inscriptions. This piece follows that tradition, featuring a simple and concise design, yet one of great symbolic power. The figure’s frontal orientation, the compact posture of the body, and the presence of hieroglyphic signs reinforce its ritual function and its connection to Egyptian funerary beliefs.