Lot 3
Ancient Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, 21st to 25th Dynasty, ca. 1070 to 664 BCE. A mold-formed, faience ushabti figure covered in vibrant layers of glaze that exhibits a stunning, cornflower-blue hue. The figure stands in mummiform with fused legs and feet and has a black seed bag suspended from both shoulders on the verso. The arms lay across the chest, likely holding a pick and a hoe. A wonderful and colorful example from ancient Egypt! Size: 1.5" W x 4.1" H (3.8 cm x 10.4 cm)
Shabti (or ushabti) dolls are figures shaped like adult male or female mummies wearing traditional ancient Egyptian headdresses. The ancient Egyptians believed that after they died, their spirits would have to work in the "Field of Reeds" owned by the god of the underworld, Osiris. This meant doing agricultural labor was required by all members of society, from workers to pharaohs. By the Third Intermediate period, this practice had become so necessary and elaborate that some tombs contained one worker for every day of the year and thirty-six overseers, each responsible for ten laborers. The wealthier nobility in Egyptian society were able to have shabtis made of coveted faience, and blue faience was meant to reflect the color of the river Nile both on earth and in the afterlife.
Provenance: private London, UK collection; ex-private N.S. collection, London, UK, acquired in the 1970s
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#190683
- Condition: Nicks, pitting, and abrasions to surface as well as softening of detail, all commensurate with age as shown. Otherwise, intact with nice pigment.
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