A Selection of Ushabtis
Overseer & Worker of Amer-eri, Lady of the House

393, Lot: 726. Estimate $250. Sold for $320. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Two faience ushabtis. Egypt, Third Intermediate Period, 1070-664 BC. A pair of ushabtis, each green faience with details in black, belonging to Amer-eri. An overseer ushabti stands with headscarf, one arm at side, holding a flail. The worker is mummiform, holding a pick and hoe. Both figures have a somewhat crude inscription down the center of their bodies reading: “Osiris, Lady of the House, Amer-eri” Height: both approx. 7.8cm. Worn and slightly chipped surfaces. Thin crack down overseer’s side.

From the Herbert B. Stearns Collection.

Ushabtis acted as servants to the deceased and would take the place of the dead in the event that labor was required from them in the afterlife. Overseer ushabtis were produced in smaller numbers, with 36 overseers per 365 workers (i.e., 1 worker for each day of the year).