As part of my โUshabti Friendsโ series, I am teaching you how to look at the different characteristics of ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ and how those characteristics can help you to narrow down the age/time period that the ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ is from! Today we are going to look at Royal 18th Dynasty Ushabtis!
All of the ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ we are going to look at today ๐๐๐๐ณ are royal ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ that all belonged to pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ from the 18th Dynasty! The 18th Dynasty is almost the โgolden ageโ of ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ because these little guys undergo much development during this time period and have so many different characteristics!ย
The wooden ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ of Amenhotep III ๐ณ๐ง๐ is very interesting because it has a very distinct characteristic of 18th Dynasty ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ that is not just one found on royal ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ!
There is a space in the hands where tools would have been inserted – such as a hoe ๐ธ. Tools that were attached separately were only found in the 18th Dynasty!
The โShabti Spellโ is also on the ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ!ย
The rock based ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ of Amenhotep II ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐๐ช and Akhenaten ๐๐๐๐ณ๐ ๐๐ are all seen holding Ankh symbols in their hands which are crossed over their chest in a mummiform fashion.
I have only seen royal ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ with Ankhs ๐น! I find this to be commentary on the religion because a deceased pharaoh ๐๐ป would not have to be doing work anyway – he probably was buried with ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ just in case! This is probably why some of the royal ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ have Ankhs ๐น and not tools!ย
These ushabtis ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ also have false beards and are wearing some type of royal crown to distinguish that they are pharaohs ๐๐ป๐ฆ!
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