Beckers Collection (Aachen) - Catalog of Ushabtis and related funerary objects

The Beckers Ushabti Collection is a privately assembled research collection of ancient Egyptian funerary substitute figures (ushabtis/shabtis) and closely related votive and funerary objects, documented and published for scholarly reference. The collection spans the full chronological range of the ushabti tradition, from early pre-shabti forms of the Old Kingdom and First Intermediate Period through the canonical shabtis of the Middle and New Kingdoms to Late Period and Ptolemaic examples, with material types including wood, painted terracotta, faience, unglazed ceramic, and bead-based composite constructions.

Each object is documented with standardised bilingual metadata (German/English), covering description, dating, material analysis, inscription records, UV examination results where applicable, comparative references to published museum holdings, and detailed provenance chains. Object sheets are provided as PDF catalogue pages with studio photography and, where available, UV fluorescence documentation and three-dimensional digital models (Sketchfab).

The current release comprises nineteen documented objects (UB-001 to UB-019), of which seventeen form the active scholarly corpus. Two objects (UB-007, UB-011) are retained for archival transparency as suspected modern reproductions, clearly marked and excluded from the scholarly catalogue. All datings and attributions are based on stylistic analysis, published parallels, and auction or museum documentation. Provenance statements follow a defensive, source-critical approach throughout.