Antique Egyptian Ushabti Faience Statue. Information on base reads "300 B.C. Amulet-type worn by the deceased." 

Size: 2 x 2 x 4 in. 

#3010 . 

An ushabti, also called a shabti or a shawabti, is a humanoid figurine often found in grave sites and tombs in ancient Egypt. The word “ushabti'” is usually translated as “answerer,” reflecting the purpose of these statues, as they were intended to help the deceased complete tasks in the afterlife by giving them guidance and encouragement. Ushabti figures are considered statuettes due to their customary miniature size, and were mostly made of wood, stone, or faience, found in large numbers sometimes altogether and other times interspersed among the possessions of the deceased. The figures range in height from approximately 4 to 20 inches, and often hold hoes or other tools in their arms, reflecting their purpose as tools. The practice originated in the Old Kingdom (c. 2600 to 2100 BC), although the term did not appear in Egyptian script until the end of the First Intermediate Period (c. 2181 to 2055 BC), with specific mention of them made in Chapter Six of the Book of the Dead. They remained in use for centuries, becoming so popular that they were found even in the graves of the poor, until the Ptolemaic Kingdom (305 to 30 BC) displaced many ancient Egyptian customs with Greek ones, or syncretic variations.

Commensurate with age.