Egyptian New Kingdom Polychrome Limestone Ushabti- Lot 4, Auction 3/21/2019
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Egyptian New Kingdom Polychrome Limestone Ushabti- Lot 4, Auction 3/21/2019

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Ancient Egypt, New Kingdom, Ramesside Period, 19th to 20th Dynasty, ca. 1292 to 1070 BCE. A beautiful, hand-carved limestone ushabti displaying a myriad of fine details. The figure stands in mummiform atop thick legs which gradually expand to wide hips, with elbows projecting from its sides. Painted details including red hands and lips, a yellow face and body, and black hair and broad collar striations adorn the surfaces of the figure, with faint traces of original powder blue pigment visible along the chest. The visage is composed of ovoid eyes, a wide nose, full lips, and puffy cheeks, all beneath a simple tripartite wig. A single column of painted hieroglyphic inscription is visible atop the legs, though the faded pigment has rendered the inscription illegible. Typical shabti figures are formed from faience or carved from wood, so a limestone example like this is of exceeding rarity. Custom museum-quality display stand included. Size: 2.5″ W x 6.9″ H (6.4 cm x 17.5 cm); 7.4″ H (18.8 cm) on included custom stand.

Ushabti dolls are figures shaped like adult male or female mummies wearing traditional Egyptian headdresses. The ancient Egyptians believed that, after they died, their spirits would have to work in the “Field of Reeds” owned by Osiris, the god of the underworld. As a result, they are frequently depicted with arms crossed, typically holding picks and hoes, with baskets on their backs. This meant that the task of agricultural labor was required by all members of society, from workers and scribes to aristocrats and even pharaohs. The wealthier nobility in Egyptian society were able to have ushabti made of faience, though wood was a more economical option for members of lower classes.

Condition: Small nicks and abrasions to head, body, legs, and base, with fading to original pigmentation and hieroglyphic inscription, and light encrustations within some recessed areas, otherwise intact and excellent. Light earthen deposits and great traces of original pigmentation throughout.

Provenance: private East Coast, USA collection; ex-Dr. Sid Port collection, California, USA, acquired in the 1980s

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