Ushabti Figures

One of the reasons I find ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures so fascinating is because they come in many different styles and can be made from many different types of materials. Most ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures are made of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼, but can also be made out of wood, limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉, calcite, terracotta and more rarely, bronze 𓈔𓏤𓈒𓏦. The faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures can come in all different colors: blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥, red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟, green 𓇅𓄿𓆓𓏛, blue-green 𓇅𓆓𓏛, white 𓌉𓆓𓇳 and others!

I love how this display at the British Museum shows many different styles/colors of ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾!

There are two 𓏻 ways to write ushabti in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪:

𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 – šwbtj – the earlier word that was used in Egypt.
𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 – wšbtj – the “newer” form of the word. This is where the Egyptological term of “ushabti” or “shabti” (both are correct terms to use) originated from!

So which version of the word do I use in my posts? Both! I like to mix it up! “ 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾” seems to be the version preferred by Allen, while “ 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾” seems to be more used by Budge and other earlier hieroglyphic dictionaries. I think it’s important to be able to recognize both versions for translation purposes! In English, my Nonno always said “ushabti” so I always use it! I will rarely say/use “shabti.”