Shawabti

myminifactory

Ancient Egyptians employed ushabti figurines in their funerary rituals, often referring to them as shabtis or shawabtis with various spellings. These funerary objects were placed among grave goods in tombs and served as servants for the deceased, assuming they would be called upon to perform manual labor in the afterlife. The figurines frequently carried a hoe on their shoulder and a basket on their back, indicating that they were intended to work on farms for the deceased. Ushabtis typically featured hieroglyphs on their legs, which described their readiness to respond to divine calls to work.