Week 23: Jun. 9, 2024

Ushebtis of Meret-it-es, Egypt, 380-250 B.C.E., Faience

Responders…

Ushebtis translates to “responders”. This drove of responders was buried with an Egyptian to serve as the agricultural workers that might be needed in the after life should there continue to be governmental requirements of hard agricultural labor even following death. Ongoing government in the after life was apparently a big concern!

The ushebtis would have been bright blueish-green when they were made. Created from a clay made from ground quartz and lime, and coated with a glaze containing copper pigment. Faience was believed to hold magical qualities, to be imbued with the shimmer of the sun and to represent the power of rebirth.

What I love about this display is the way it shows the vast quantity of ushebtis that were created and buried with just this one man. He had 305 ushebtis going along with him to the afterlife. The 14 larger ones were sent to supervise the 291 others.