Ushabtis (or Shabtis) are funerary figurines used in ancient Egyptian funerary practices. They were placed in tombs among the grave goods and were intended to act as servants or minions for the deceased, should they be called upon to do manual labor in the afterlife.
This Ushabti is depicted mummiform, with a tripartite wig and curly Osirian beard that ends in a sharp forward curve. The horizontal inscription translates as: 'May the Osiris of the priest of (the goddess) Smentet, Padiusir, be illuminated'. The vertical inscription reads: 'Born of Irbinat, a righteous voice', referring to the deceased’s mother.
Provenance
Ex D. Wolf Hannover collection, Germany; H. Horn collection before 1980; then Heinrich Kuhn collection in 2015. Acquired from Andreas von dem Berge collection 2021
Ref: The British Museum, museum number EA66950