Extremely Rare Egyptian Faience Overseer Ushabti of Lady Isetemkhebit

Third Intermediate Period, 21st Dynasty, ca. 1070–945 BCE
From the Famous Second Cache (DB320), Deir el-Bahri

An extraordinarily rare overseer ushabti belonging to Lady Isetemkhebit, a high-ranking noblewoman of the 21st Dynasty, discovered in the legendary Royal Cache (DB320) at Deir el-Bahri — the same tomb complex where the mummies of some of Egypt’s greatest pharaohs were reburied, including Ahmose I, Amenhotep I, Thutmose III, and Ramesses II.

Only one other known overseer ushabti of Isetemkhebit has been documented (see Shabti Collections Database, SC-143), making this example an exceptionally important rediscovery for the study of Egyptian funerary art.

Fashioned in vivid turquoise-blue faience with black painted details, the figure represents an overseer — recognizable by his commanding stance, the whip held across his chest, and the tripartite wig symbolizing rank and authority. The crisp modeling and rich glaze remain remarkably preserved, offering a vivid glimpse into the aesthetic and spiritual ideals of the period.

The piece rests on an old painted base and retains its original mid-20th-century collection tags marked “66.52” and “980,” likely referencing early gallery or auction inventory records, providing valuable continuity of provenance and curatorial context.

Provenance

Acquired in New York City between the 1960s and 1980s by Matthew McDonald Jr., a private collector who lived there for approximately 25 years and maintained close ties with a local gallery owner during that period. Thence by family descent to his nephew, Marc Fertig, from whose estate in Cape Coral, Florida, it was subsequently dispersed.

This ushabti of Lady Isetemkhebit is among the rarest known overseers from the Third Intermediate Period — a museum-grade piece intimately connected to one of ancient Egypt’s most famous archaeological finds, the Deir el-Bahri Royal Cache (DB320).