Sekhmet sculpture

Figure of the head of Sekhmet. A special chamber was consecrated in the temple of Mut at Thebes to this goddess. This head came from that chamber

Dates: Early: -1549 Late: -1298 Period: 18 dynasty

Dimensions: L: 350 mm W: 580 mm Th: 355 mm

Africa Egypt Thebes

stone granite

18th dynasty: 1390-1352 BC: reign of Nebmaatra Amenhotep II Temple of Mut, Karnak, Thebes, Egypt. This bust is part of one of a great number of similar statues of the lioness goddess Sekhmet produced during the reign of Amenhotep III. It has been estimated that originally there may have been around one seated and one standing statue for every day of the year. These statues probably would have had some colouring to enhance certain features. Although this example came from the Temple of Mut, recent academic research indicates that the statues may have formerly constituted part of an unusually elaborate and impressive statuary program connected with Amenhotep III's first jubilee or sed (a festival of renewal), within his Mortuary Temple, at Kom el-Hetan. Amenhotep III;s sovereignty has been characterised as one of great prosperity and stability, which may have enabled his many ambitious architectural projects. The goddess Sekhmet had many facets and attributes and may be identified by various epithets. Sekhmet was closely identified with the goddess Hathor, but, more specifically, she was the goddess of war and strife, traits which may be discerned here in her forbidding and impassive countenance. However, she was also associated with medicine and healing and was invoked as a protectress, for instance against outbreaks of plague. It has also been suggested that Amenhotep III had health or dental problems which may have inspired him to erect so many statues to the goddess. A section of the text named The Book of the Cow of Heaven, dating from the New Kingdom period, concerns the sun-god Re's plan to destroy mankind as punishment for conspiring against him. The goddess Sekhmet, as the eye of Re, enforced Re's will and slaughtered many people. Re relented and tricked the goddess by lacing beer with red-ochre, so it would resemble blood, and flooding the desert with this liquid. Sekhmet slaked her thirst and became drunk and so mankind was saved. Betsy M. Bryan, The statue program for the mortuary temple of Amenhotep III in S. Quirke (ed.), The Temple in Ancient Egypt; New Discoveries and Recent Research, London, 1997, pp.57-81 Richard A. Fazzini, Bust from a statue of the goddess Sekhmet, in A.K. Kapel & G.E. Markoe (eds), Mistress of the House, Mistress of Heaven: Women in Ancient Egypt, New York, 1997, pp.134-6

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