Usabti Statues
Magical powers
Egyptians believed in servants for the afterlife
by Pat Remler
One of the most
interesting and collectable artifacts from ancient Egypt is the
usabti, the magical statue found in tombs. Magic played an
important role in the daily life of the ancient Egyptians. Part
of their magic was the belief that amulets and statues would
protect them from perils, both real and imagined, in their daily
lives and in the next world.During Egypt's Middle Kingdom period,
small statues began to be placed in the tombs of the deceased.
These statues were intended to be servants which would magically
come to life, and do any unpleasant chore the deceased might be
called upon to perform in the afterlife.Because the daily life of
ancient Egyptians centered around agriculture, they viewed the
next world as primarily agrarian. They believed that the deceased
would have to plant the fields and maintain irrigation canals, so
the little statues, buried in tombs, took on the appearance of
field workers. They were mummiform, so as to be identified with
Osiris, the god of the dead, but their hands were protruding from
the bandages so they could do the work.At first, the statues were
inscribed with only the name of the deceased, but soon they were
inscribed with magical spells as well to assure that they would
really come alive to do their chores. A typical spell would be:
"O shawabti, if the deceased is called upon to do work in
the next world, answer "Here I am!" Plough the fields,
fill the canals with water and carry the sand of the east to the
west."The word "shawabti" apparently referred to
the persea-tree out of which these figures were occasionally
made. Another name for them was "usabti" which meant
"answerer". The idea was that when the deceased was
called to work, the figure would answer for him. The statues are
called by both names today.Since ushabtis were provided to do the
work, it became desirable to have many of them. During the New
Kingdom it was common to have hundreds placed in the more
elaborate tombs. Because the number of ushabtis found in tombs is
often nearly 365, it is believed by many that the Egyptians
intended that there be one for each day of the year. There is no
actual evidence for this, and in fact the number found is rarely
exactly 365. The pharaoh Taharqa had more than one thousand
ushabtis, each one beautifully carved from stone.Ushabtis varied
considerably in size and materials, depending upon the wealth of
the deceased. They were usually made of faience, although some
were made of terra-cotta, wood or stone.Faience, a paste made of
ground quartz or of sand with a high percentage of quartz, was
one of the most commonly used materials in producing ushabtis.
The faience paste was pressed into molds and then fired. When
baked, the glaze would migrate to the outside producing a smooth
glassy surface. The quality and the color of the glaze depended
on the impurities in the paste. Faience ushabtis range in color
from a bright dark blue to various shades of turquoise and pale
green.Faience ushabtis were produced in all sizes and in varying
shapes. The poorest quality were small, uninscribed and with
minimal features. Sometimes the faces and inscriptions were added
with black ink. As the cost of the figure increased, so too did
the quality of workmanship and the fineness of detail. On the
backs of the more detailed figures are sacks, (usually identified
by crosshatching on the left shoulder) that represent seed packs
for planting in the fields. Sometimes the hoes, held close to the
chest are protruding from each hand. The better quality statues
were usually larger, with inscriptions on the front and back. If
a complete spell was not included on the ushabti, it was
customary to identify the deceased with Osiris by inscribing the
name of the deceased along with that of Osiris on each
ushabti.For collectors interested in Egyptian artifacts, ushabtis
offer an interesting and affordable possibility. They are
available in all prices, some with clear features and
translatable inscriptions. Ushabtis are an art form that is
purely Egyptian, remaining unchanged in both purpose and form for
over 2,000 years.
(Pat Remler is an associate of
Mehrdad and Aziz Sadigh at Ancient Artifacts & Coins in New
York City)