Ushabti

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Egyptian Ushabti

The ushabti (also called shabti or shawabti, with a number of variant spellings) is a small figurine of ancient Egypt included in the grave goods of the dead. The figurine was believed to magically animate after the dead had been judged, then work for the dead person as a servant or substitute labourer in the fields of Osiris. The ushabti meant the "follower" or "answerer" in Ancient Egyptian because it "answered" for the deceased person and performed all the routine chores of daily life for its master.^[1] Some tombs had the floor covered with a great many ushabti figurines, produced in quantity for the journey of the deceased. The figurines were made of clay, wood or stone.^[2] Approximately 365 ushabti or servant statues were placed in a deceased Ancient Egyptians' tomb for each day of the year, but "pharaohs had considerably more of these servants than commoners, and king Taharqa had more than a thousand. On the front of the statues, the deceased's name was usually carved or written,...on more elaborate usabtis,a magical spell was inscribed to assure that it did it's work."^[3] Some Egyptians had overseer ushabti that were responsible for groups of ten ushabti.

The ushabtis were used from the 11th Dynasty but became common and numerous in graves from the 21st Dynasty. They symbolically replaced genuine sacrificial burials. Early ushabti figurines were made from wax and clay; later figurines were of stone, terracotta, metal, glass and, most often, glazed earthenware. With increasing demand, the ushabti became standardised—made from single molds with little detail.

One of the more common examples pictured of the ushabti is one of faience glass glaze, because an Egyptian hieroglyphic statement, or story, is presented about the deceased individual. It is a statement either of the deceased's life, or their journey.