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Egyptian
(Late period, 26th Dynasty, about 663-525 B.C.)

Ushabti
Faience
Gift of the estate of Louise M. Hook
2005.13.2

Ushabtis are among the most common objects that survive from ancient Egypt. Typically shown in the form of Osiris, the mummified god of the dead, these little figures were believed to work on behalf of the deceased in the Fields of Osiris during the afterlife. They often clutch two hoes or picks and wear seed or grain baskets on their backs, reflecting the agricultural basis of Egyptian society.