Ushabti of Amenhotep III

One of the things I love so much about ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures is the fact that they are all so different! Even ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures from the same time period have a lot of variation! For example, ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 that are from the same burial can contain many different types of ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪! Many ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 that belonged to the 18th Dynasty pharaohs 𓉐𓉻𓏦 contained a combination of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼, and stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures! 

The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 on the left side of this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 belonged to the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆 and was found in his tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 in the Valley of the Kings. In the Louvre, this piece is listed as “Mummiform Funerary Servant (Serviteur Funéraire Momiforme)” which basically means a ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 that looks like a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾! This particular ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is made of red granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶! 

The word “mummiform” is used by Egyptologists to describe various artifacts that look like a mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾! So what characteristics makes this ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 mummiform?  The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is fashioned in the style of the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭; its crossed arms are holding a crook 𓋾 and flail 𓌅. Much like the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, mummies 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾𓏪 (at least those who could afford it) were also laid to rest in this fashion. The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is also wearing the false beard 𓐍𓃀𓊃𓅱𓏏𓁸, and the white crown 𓄤𓋑 with a uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 (that is hard to see but is still there). 

This ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 has a lot of beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 engraved on it, but the text is too small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 for me to see! The only thing I can really make out is the cartouche of Amenhotep III 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓊵𓋾𓋆.