Object of the Month â November
The Ushabti of the Overseer of the Granary, Amenhotep, offers a glimpse into ancient Egyptian beliefs, where agriculture played a vital role even in the afterlife. As a symbolic figure, the Ushabti was meant to serve its ownerâAmenhotep, a high-ranking official in agricultural administrationâby performing fieldwork on his behalf after death.
Egypt, ca. 1397â1388 B.C.
Limestone
Agriculture in the Afterlife
This finely crafted limestone figure bears an inscription naming Amenhotep as the âjustified Overseer of the Granaryâ and describing his duties in the underworldâfrom irrigating the fields to cultivating the soil.
A fascinating testimony to ancient Egyptian faith and agrarian symbolism â on display only in November at the PANEUM.