Category: Ushabti Friends

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to look at a very peculiar type of Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figure that does not appear much! I’ve been wanting to write about this piece for so long so this series is the perfect opportunity!

These type of ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 are referred to as “Ushabti on a Bier” because they appear lying flat on a table like a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾. While there are not many of this type of ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾, there are similar (yet more elaborate) ones at the Museo Egizio in Torino, the Louvre in Paris and the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden in Leiden. 

There is actually no information about this piece on the MET website, but based on the piece and what I know about ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾, I am going to make some inferences here! 

I am going to infer that this piece is dated to the 18th Dynasty for two reasons: the first is that the similar ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 located in other museums are all dated to the 18th Dynasty (New Kingdom) and the second is that this piece is in a gallery at the MET that contains New Kingdom era pieces! 

This piece also seems to be made of limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉, and was part of a non-royal but still wealthy person’s burial. 

This “Ushabti on a Bier” that is pictured plus the ones in other museums don’t contain any hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 on them which is interesting because many ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 do contain hieroglyphic inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥.

To me, the “Ushabti on a Bier” figures look like the wooden mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 figures that would be placed on the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 model boats 𓂧𓊪𓏏𓊞𓏥 that went in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 during the Middle Kingdom. 

These types of ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures leave me with more questions than answers which to me is both fascinating and frustrating! 

1. What was the purpose of these unique type of ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures? 
2. Why do all instances of these ushabtis not contain any hieroglyphs? 
3. Were these ushabtis inspired by the wooden model boats of the Middle Kingdom?
4. Why are all examples of these only dated to the 18th Dynasty, and why did they stop being made?

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

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This is the first post in a new series I am doing called “Ushabti Friends,” which aims to educate on the fascinating funerary objects called Ushabtis!

There are so many different types of ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures! Today, we are going to start off with the first known ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figure which is called a “wax ushabti”

Before ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 we know and love evolved in the 12th Dynasty, wax 𓏠𓈖𓎛𓏸𓏦 figurines that looked like humans (and had their own mini coffins 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱𓏦) were placed in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏪 with the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱! They are known to Egyptologists as “wax ushabtis.” 

These precursor-ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 were made of beeswax and beeswax was said to have magical 𓎛𓂓𓄿𓏜 powers of protection 𓅓𓂝𓎡𓀜, resurrection, and regeneration. 

The figures are somewhat detailed and were wrapped in a linen cloth 𓍱 and placed in the mini-coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱. The coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 did not identify any role or jobs that the figure had (like the text on a ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 could identify what it’s job was), but it did identify the name 𓂋𓈖 of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱. Sometimes even the standard Offering Formula (𓇓𓏏𓊵𓏙 an offering the king gives) appeared on the mini-coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 as if it were a real one! 

If these figures weren’t workers, then what was their purpose? It is thought that this figure would take the place of the body should the body of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 be destroyed. 

Not many of these “wax ushabtis” have been found, especially in comparison to the amount of ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 that have been found! 

Ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 evolved into the little worker figures we know today during the 12th Dynasty, but became very popular during the New Kingdom. 

This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost. 

Follow me @ancientegyptblog on Instagram and TikTok to learn all about ancient Egypt, hieroglyphs, mythology, culture and more!