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Egyptian Carved Wood Mummiform Ushabti with Original Resin Patina | Third Intermediate to Late Period (c. 1069–332 BCE)
Carved from a single block of native timber during the Third Intermediate to Late Period (c. 1069–332 BCE), this substantial wooden ushabti stands as an exceptionally preserved witness to ancient Egyptian funerary mysticism. Unlike smaller, mass-produced ceramic variants of the era, this figurine was individually hand-sculpted on a superior scale to serve as a vital spiritual proxy for its owner in the fields of the afterlife. The mummiform figure represents the deceased in the likeness of Osiris, the ruler of the underworld, wearing a smooth tripartite wig and holding two carved seed sacks or agricultural tools pressed flat against its chest. Over more than two millennia spent sealed inside a tomb, the organic wood grain has aged to a deep, resonant umber, retaining significant traces of its original dark protective resin coating and faint ochre pigments. Sourced independently with a distinct physical format, this ancient servant stands as a remarkably tactile, structurally solid bridge to the private devotional landscape of the Nile Valley. Third Intermediate to Late Period (c. 1069–332 BCE) | Measures 6 inches tall (15.2 cm)
In the spiritual economy of dynastic Egypt, wooden ushabtis occupied a highly specific domestic niche, frequently commissioned as specialized workers or overseers within a deceased person's tomb ensemble. Following the theological mandates of the Book of the Dead, these figures were meant to answer the roll call of the gods when manual chores—such as tilling celestial fields or clearing irrigation canals—were required in the afterlife. While smaller burials featured minor quantities of low-fired clay, a wooden shabti of this 6-inch scale was often carved by workshop carpenters for more prominent middle-class or administrative lineages. The elongated, slender silhouette of this piece matches standard Lower Egyptian burial typologies from the early 1st millennium BCE. It was only the ritual closing of the tomb chamber that secured this organic carving against the humidity of the outside world, allowing its delicate wood fibers to survive across the centuries.
Physical Place of Origin & Materials:
The material fabric of this statuette places its manufacture within the local regional carpentry guilds of Middle or Upper Egypt, most notably around the historic religious hubs of Asyut, Thebes, or Abydos. Because high-quality timber was scarce in the arid Nile Valley, local craftsmen relied heavily on native trees such as sycamore fig, tamarisk, or acacia wood. The carver prepared a substantial wood split, shaping the essential mummiform curves with a bronze adze and fine copper chisels before applying a thin, protective layer of dark organic pitch or bitumen to seal the porous surface. On the lower reverse and base of the figure, the beautiful, long-grain striations and slight shrinkage fractures capture the precise seasoning of the native wood across thousands of years, freezing the specific manual labor of an ancient Egyptian woodworker into a permanent, solid artifact.
Condition Report & Preservation Status:
This ancient wooden ushabti is presented in a remarkably stable, fully intact excavated condition, displaying an exceptional level of preservation for an organic antiquity of this scale. The fibrous structure is completely sound from the tip of the wig down to the flat, unjointed base, completely free of the woodworm rot, modern fills, or terminal water damage that frequently degrades tomb wood. The original facial structure and crossed hands remain entirely distinct, showing only expected smoothing, minor grain contraction, and stable micro-fissures consistent with millennia of subterranean aging. Thick patches of an original dark, resinous coating remain beautifully adhered across the shoulders, back, and lower torso, intermingled with an authentic layer of fine, uncleaned tomb dust and calcified soil. Preserving its raw archaeological state, this sculpture is structurally stable and ready for climate-controlled open display.
Provenance:
This artifact carries a clean, independent collection pedigree, having been sourced from a separate, long-standing private collection in the state of New York. The physical surface of the wood remains completely raw and uncleaned, retaining its ancient subterranean patina without the presence of modern ink markings or institutional labels. This absence of subsequent registrar modifications preserves the unblemished archaeological face of the timber, allowing the natural grain variations and original black resin coatings to remain entirely undisturbed. Established safely within long-term domestic ownership prior to modern international antiquities trade accords, this item possesses a clear and legally compliant status, making it fully ready for modern collectors and legal transfer.
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