Ushabti
About This Item
Ushabtis, or small funerary figurines, have been found inside linen wrappings, arranged around the body, or throughout the inside of tombs. Spells inscribed on these figurines ordered them to perform manual tasks in the afterlife on behalf of the deceased. Some individuals were buried with hundreds of ushabtis.
- Date
- c. 1069 BCE–656 BCE
- Geography
- Thebes, Egypt
- Medium
- paint
- faience
- Provenance
- Purchased by Adolph Sutro in 1884 in Thebes, Egypt
- Context
- The distinctive blue color of many of the ushabti is a material called faience, a type of glazed ceramic ware comprised primarily of silica. It can be a variety of colors, the most common being blue-green.
- Height
- 3.75 in
- Width
- 1.75 in
- Depth
- 1.25 in
- Copyright
- Copyright status unknown. Some materials in these collections may be protected by the U.S. Copyright Law (Title 17, U.S.C.). In addition, the reproduction of some materials may be restricted by terms of gift or purchase agreements, donor restrictions, privacy and publicity rights, licensing, and trademarks. Transmission or reproduction of materials protected by copyright beyond that allowed by fair use requires the written permission of the copyright owners. Works not in the public domain cannot be commercially exploited without permission of the copyright owner. Responsibility for any use rests exclusively with the user.
- Views
- 560