Tag: shabti

Is it Ushabti or Shabti?

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 6, 2023

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳 we are going to be taking a closer look at the inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 that is on the Ushabti of Sati, which is the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 that I posted about yesterday 𓋴𓆑𓇳!

The word “shabti 𓆷𓄿𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾” in hieroglyphs on the Ushabti of the Lady Sati (Dynasty 18)

I was so excited when I saw the variant for the word “shabti 𓆷𓄿𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾” going across the front of the hieroglyphic text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 (it’s in the middle row of this picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏) and it was clear to read! I don’t know why spotting a single word 𓌃𓂧𓅱𓀁 in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 makes me so excited, but it did! I guess I just love 𓈘𓏏 ushabtis that much!

I have seen people debate if the correct word for my favorite funerary figures is “shabti” or “ushabti,” when in reality, both pronunciations would be correct! So why would both “shabti” and “ushabti” be correct? Its because the word appears both ways in hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 too! The word “𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 usbty” is where “ushabti” comes from and the word “𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” is where “shabti” comes from!

The variant of “𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” is what appears on this ushabti figure – it is missing the “𓍯” symbol, most likely for spacing reasons, so it is spelled like this: 𓆷𓄿𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾. It would still be pronounced as “sawabti” though!

The word for “stick 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓄿𓃀𓏲𓍘𓇋𓆱” is pronounced like “swbt,” and many Egyptologists think that this was the word that “𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” was originally derived from. The term ““𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 sawabti” was used mostly during the New Kingdom Period, which is the time period this ushabti pictured is from.

It has also been proposed that the word “Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾” (which became more popular from the 21st Dynasty and onward), is derived from the verb “to answer 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓀁,” which would be pronounced like “wsb.” This makes sense too because ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 answered the call of the deceased to perform manual labor in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

My Nonno always said “Ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾” so that is what I tend to say as well! Which term to you usually use?

Tags brooklyn museum, hieroglyph lessons, hieroglyphs, shabti, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti of Sati

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date April 5, 2023

This is the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 of Sati, and the Brooklyn Museum has two 𓏻 of them! The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 dates to the New Kingdom Dynasty 18 (c. 1390-1352 B.C.E.).

The Ushabti of Sati at the Brooklyn Museum. The hieroglyphs on this Ushabti are the “Shabti Spell”

Sati was not royal nor a high-ranking official so these ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 were clearly a royal gift just due to the craftsmanship that went into making it. Sati’s only title that appears on the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is “mistress of the house 𓎟𓏏𓉐𓏺.”

This piece is unique because of the six different colors on the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 – most were not this colorful. I really love the blue 𓇅𓆓𓏛 accents and extreme attention to detail on this piece. If you look closely, the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are painted so beautifully on to the body of the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾. These hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪 are the standard “Shabti Spell,” from Chapter 6 of the Book of the Dead 𓉐𓂋𓏏𓂻𓅓𓉔𓂋𓏲𓇳𓏺𓍼𓏺. This spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 gives the ushabti 𓆷𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖.

The “Shabti Spell” usually starts off with the following phrase:

𓋴𓌉𓆓𓇶 – The Illuminated One

𓁹𓊩𓀭 – The Osiris

Then the “Shabti Spell” will usually list the deceased’s 𓅓𓏏𓏱 job/titles:

𓎟𓏏𓉐𓏺 – Mistress of the House

This ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is made out of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 and is mummiform in appearance, with the arms 𓂝𓏦 crossed along the chest. In each hand 𓂝𓏺, the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is holding a hoe and a basket. This indicates that the ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 was meant to do some type of agricultural labor for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 (as per the Shabti Spell)! The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 is also wearing a broad collar 𓅱𓋴𓐍𓎺𓋝.

Me with the Ushabti of Sati at the Brooklyn Museum!

Tags artifact, brooklyn museum, shabti, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Drawers Full of Ushabtis!

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date March 29, 2023

My Nonno always spoke very highly of the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archaeology at UCL in London. As a kid 𓐍𓇌𓀕, he would always tell me that they had “drawers and drawers full of ushabtis” and it just sounded so cool to me! I wanted to visit so badly!

A view of a drawer in the Petrie Museum which contains a collection of faience ushabtis

When we got to visit the museum together 𓈖𓊗, it was like a dream come true! It was VERY COOL to be able to open the drawers in the cabinets and be greeted by ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪!

A view of a drawer in the Petrie Museum which contains terracotta ushabtis

We spent hours at the museum going through everything and I spent the most time with the ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 (no surprise there)!!

A view of a drawer in the Petrie Museum which contains wood, limestone, faience, and terracotta ushabtis

The Petrie Museum has quite the collection of ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 and they are representative of a lot of the differing styles of ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 through different time periods in Egyptian history. Most of the photos are representative of more “classical” ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 from the 20th Dynasty forward (made of faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼, stone 𓇋𓈖𓂋𓊪 or terracotta 𓊪𓈖𓋴𓈇), while the picture below shows the “stick ushabtis.”

A view of a drawer in the Petrie Museum which contains stick ushabtis

Stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 (17th to the beginning of the 18th Dynasty) are made of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺, have a roughly mummiform shape, no artistic details, and have an inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the front. The function of these stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 also seems to be different than that of the regular ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 that are found in tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦 whose function was to perform tasks for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐. The stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 have only been found in Thebes 𓌀𓏏𓊖, in the above ground chapels that were found near tombs 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐𓏦, not inside the tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐!

The stick ushabtis 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾𓏪 most likely represented the family members of the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱, and were placed in the above ground chapel as a way to symbolize family members being close to their dead 𓅓𓏏𓏱 loved one.

A view of a drawer in the Petrie Museum which contains faience ushabtis, and a stone ushabti in the back.

Tags artifact, petrie museum, shabti, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti of Amenhotep III

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date March 25, 2023

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!

A mummiform ushabti of pharaoh Amenhotep III (left) on display at the Louvre in Paris, France. This ushabti is made of red granite, which is unusual!

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.

Tags amenhotep iii, artifact, louvre, shabti, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

The Ushabtis of Nauny

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date February 7, 2023

Let’s look at some ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures! Gallery 126 at the MET has lot of ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 on display and I LOVE being in this room!

These ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures and shabti boxes belong to a woman 𓊃𓏏𓂑𓏏𓁐 named Nauny, who lived during the 21st Dynasty reign of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Psusennes I 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌻𓅮𓇼𓈍𓈖𓊖.

Nauny was buried with a total of 393 ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 figures that were divided amongst seven 𓐀 shabti boxes. The shabti boxes are made of sycamore 𓈖𓉔𓏏𓆭 wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 and painted 𓏞𓏜 with stucco. As demonstrated in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏 below, the ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 are stored in an upright position in the box!

The Ushabtis of Nauny and the Ushabti boxes

The ushabti figures 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 that Nauny was buried with are made of blue 𓇋𓁹𓏏𓄿𓏸𓏥 faience 𓋣𓈖𓏏𓏸𓏼 and have featured and inscriptions 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on them that are painted 𓏞𓏜 with black 𓆎𓅓 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦. The inscription 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the front (and back) of the ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 reads:

The ushabti figures with the kilts are Overseer Ushabtis, while the ones with hieroglyphs on the front are Worker Ushabtis.

𓋴𓌉𓆓𓇶 – The Illuminated One

𓊩𓁹 – The Osiris

𓇓𓅭𓏏 – The King’s daughter

𓈖𓄿𓈖𓇌𓁐 – Nauny

𓐙𓊤 – True of Voice

“The Osiris 𓊩𓁹” part of the inscription means that Nauny, through the process of mummification 𓋴𓂧𓐍𓅱𓐎, becomes 𓆣 like the god 𓊹 Osiris 𓊩𓁹 who is the main god 𓊹 of the dead. This means that Nauny will live on in the Duat 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐 (afterlife) just like Osiris 𓊩𓁹 has!

There are two 𓏻 different types of ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏: worker ushabtis and overseer ushabtis! Nauny originally had a total of 365 worker ushabtis, one for each day 𓉔𓂋𓏺𓇳 of the year. The worker ushabtis are identified by having the inscription on the front! The overseer ushabtis had the job of making sure that the worker ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 were doing their job! The overseer ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 can be identified by the long kilt that they are wearing, and their inscription is located on the back!

Tags artifact, shabti, the met, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti and Miniature Coffin

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date December 28, 2022

Today 𓏇𓇋𓈖𓇳, we are going to take a look at this unique ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 that was discovered in the mortuary temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 of the pyramid 𓍋𓅓𓂋𓉴 of the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 Senwosret I 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 (Dynasty 12). This was probably left as some type of offering 𓊵𓏏𓊪𓏏𓏔𓏦. The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 and coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 are made out of wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺 and are covered in gold 𓋞𓃉𓃉𓃉 leaf.

The ushabti 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾 and coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 contain the name 𓂋𓈖 of Wahneferhotep, who was probably the son 𓅭 of Senwosret I 𓄊𓋴𓂋𓏏𓊃𓈖 due to the title “King’s Son 𓇓𓅭” appearing in the hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. These two 𓏻 objects seen here are the only place where Wahneferhotep’s name 𓂋𓈖appears, so we know nothing about him!

What is so cool about the miniature coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 is that it is so detailed and similar to an actual coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱! The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the miniature coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 is inscribed with the same funerary spells as regular sized coffins would be! The eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦 on this side of the coffin 𓋴𓅱𓎛𓏏𓆱 would allow the mummy 𓇋𓁹𓅱𓀾 (or in this case, the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾) to see outside of it! The ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 was even found covered with linen 𓍱 and laying on its side! This was very typical of Middle Kingdom burial practices 𓈎𓂋𓋴𓏏𓏏𓊭, and it was something my Nonno would always point out to me when we were in a museum!

The text 𓏟𓏛𓏥 on the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 is a version of the standard “Shabti Spell. This spell 𓎛𓂓𓏛 gives the ushabti 𓆷𓄿𓍯𓃀𓏏𓏮𓀾 the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 in the Field of Reeds 𓇏𓏏𓈅𓇋𓄿𓂋𓅱𓆰𓊖 so the deceased 𓅓𓏏𓏱 doesn’t have to do any work in the afterlife 𓇼𓄿𓏏𓉐.

Tags artifact, Senwosret I, shabti, the met, ushabti

Egyptian Artifacts

Ushabti of Pharaoh Seti I

Post author By ancientegyptblog7
Post date November 11, 2022

Pharaoh Seti I 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌻𓇌𓁣𓈖 had over 700 ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪! The typical number was around four hundred – 365 worker ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, and the rest were overseer ushabtis. Most of Seti I’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌻𓇌𓁣𓈖 ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 were wood 𓆱𓏏𓏺- when Giovanni Belzoni discovered Seti I’s tomb 𓇋𓐫𓊃𓉐 in the Valley of the Kings in 1917, he used a lot of the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 as torches (this fact still haunts me – it was also one of my Nonno’s favorite stories to tell).

Besides the wooden 𓆱𓏏𓏺 ushabtis, Seti I 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓌻𓇌𓁣𓈖 had many faience ushabtis 𓅱𓈙𓃀𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪. His faience ushabtis are such a beautiful blue color and are inscribed with hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪. Seti I’s throne name, Maatmenra 𓇳𓁦𓏠, is clearly seen on the first line of hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪!

Tags artifact, louvre, seti i, shabti, ushabti

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