While the four ๐ฝ figures of the Four Sons of Horus at the front of this display look like ushabtiย ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พย figures, they are not!! There are someย blue ๐๐น๐๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฅ faience ๐ฃ๐๐๐ธ๐ผ ย ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พย figures behind the Four Sons of Horus though!ย
So what are these Four Sons of Horus figures? These are actually called โviscera figuresโ and they were meant to protect the internal organs ๐๐ง๐๐น๐ฆ of the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ! Usually, the lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ, liver ๐ ๐๐ก๐, stomach ๐๐ฃ๐ป, and intestines ๐๐ช๐ ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ผ were removed, dried with natron, and placed in Canopic Jars for protection ๐ ๐๐ก๐.
In some cases, the organs ๐๐ง๐๐น๐ฆ of the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ were mummified and put back in the body. This is where the viscera figures come into play – the viscera figures were then placed inside the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ to protect ๐ ๐๐ก๐ the mummified organs ๐๐ง๐๐น๐ฆ!
From the left: Duamutef ๐ผ๐ ๐๐ had the head of a jackal ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฅ and protected ๐ ๐๐ก๐ the stomach ๐๐ฃ๐ป. Imsety ๐๐๐ด๐๐ had the head of a human and protected ๐ ๐๐ก๐ the liver ๐ ๐๐๐น๐ธ๐ธ๐ธ. Qebehsenuef ๐๐ข๐ข๐ข๐ had the head of a falcon ๐๐๐ก๐ and protected ๐ ๐๐ก๐ the intestines ๐๐ช๐ ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ผ. Hapy ๐๐๐ช๐ had the head of a baboon and protected ๐ ๐๐ก๐ the lungs ๐๐ด๐ฅ๐ ฑ๐บ.
These pieces are dated to the Third Intermediate Period/21st Dynasty (c. 1000โ945 B.C.E.). The viscera figures and the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ figures pictured were found in the burial chamber ๐๐๐๐ of Djedmutesankh in a tomb ๐๐ซ๐๐ at Deir el-Bahri.