Shabti for Tius. Ancient Egypt, Late Period, Dynasty XXVII-XXX, 525-341 BC.

Shabti for Tius. Ancient Egypt, Late Period, Dynasty XXVII-XXX, 525-341 BC.
Faience.
Restored at the knee. Small break in beard and nose.
Provenance: Private collection, Europe, acquired in 1980 after: J. Bagot Archaeological Gallery, Spain (2015).
With export certificate dated 2023.
Measurements: 19.5 cm diameter.

This ushebti figure is represented as a labourer, as he wields two hoes to work in the fields of Osiris in the Beyond. He wears a short wig from which a braid protrudes on the right side. He wears a curly Osirian beard, ending in a tight forward curve. From his mummiform shroud, which covers his entire body, only his hands, crossed over his chest, protrude, holding the aforementioned agricultural tools.

His magnificent inscription reads: ‘May the Osiris (priest) of Tius be enlightened, justified. Born of Tayderek, justified. He says: Oh! ushebtis, if I am required. The Osiris of Tius, to do all the work that will be done in the hereafter, here I am, ye shall say, to tear down the obstacles, cultivate the fields, irrigate the riparian lands and transport the sand from west to east and vice versa. here I am! ye shall say’.