Today ๐๐๐๐ณ, we are going to take a look at this unique ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ that was discovered in the mortuary temple ๐๐๐ of the pyramid ๐๐ ๐๐ด of the pharaoh ๐๐ป Senwosret I ๐๐ด๐๐๐๐ (Dynasty 12). This was probably left as some type of offering ๐ต๐๐ช๐๐๐ฆ. The ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ and coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ are made out of wood ๐ฑ๐๐บ and are covered in gold ๐๐๐๐ leaf.
The ushabti ๐ ฑ๐๐๐๐ญ๐พ and coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ contain the name ๐๐ of Wahneferhotep, who was probably the son ๐ ญ of Senwosret I ๐๐ด๐๐๐๐ due to the title โKingโs Son ๐๐ ญโ appearing in the hieroglyphs ๐น๐๐ช. These two ๐ป objects seen here are the only place where Wahneferhotepโs name ๐๐appears, so we know nothing about him!ย
What is so cool about the miniature coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ is that it is so detailed and similar to an actual coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ! The text ๐๐๐ฅ on the miniature coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ is inscribed with the same funerary spells as regular sized coffins would be! The eyes ๐น๐๐ฆ on this side of the coffin ๐ด๐ ฑ๐๐๐ฑ would allow the mummy ๐๐น๐ ฑ๐พ (or in this case, the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ) to see outside of it! The ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ was even found covered with linen ๐ฑ and laying on its side! This was very typical of Middle Kingdom burial practices ๐๐๐ด๐๐๐ญ, and it was something my Nonno would always point out to me when we were in a museum!
The text ๐๐๐ฅ on the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ is a version of the standard โShabti Spell. This spell ๐๐๐ gives the ushabti ๐ท๐ฟ๐ฏ๐๐๐ฎ๐พ the power to complete tasks (farming, manual labor, etc) for the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ in the Field of Reeds ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฟ๐๐ ฑ๐ฐ๐ so the deceased ๐ ๐๐ฑ doesnโt have to do any work in the afterlife ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐.
