Ushabti

Ushabtis are figurines that were deposited in a tomb and were meant to accompany the deceased into the afterlife, where they performed any physical labor required by the tomb owner. To ensure that the ushabtis would come to life in the afterlife and respond to the orders issued by the deceased, they are typically inscribed with a short spell from the Book of the Dead. The inscriptions on these figures often refer to agricultural work, and many ushabtis are depicted holding agricultural tools. Ushabtis could be made of any material, though most that survive today are faience, a composite of crushed quartz, sand, and glass covered in a glaze and fired. The glaze is usually a variation of blue or green, as here, although red, white, yellow, or black could also be used.