Kneeling Hatshepsut

High upon the upper terrace of Hatshepsut’s magnificent mortuary temple at Deir el-Bahari lies the central sanctuary, consecrated to the mighty god Amun-Re. His principal cult centre stood grandly across the shimmering Nile at Karnak, on the sun-drenched eastern bank. Each year, in a spectacle both sacred and splendid, Amun-Re’s divine image would make a ceremonial journey during the Beautiful Feast of the Valley.

In this joyous festival, the god was borne across the river in his resplendent barque, accompanied by priests, music, and jubilant worshippers. Upon reaching the western bank, the procession advanced along a grand avenue lined with sphinxes, guiding the way to Hatshepsut’s temple, a marvel of symmetry and divine ambition.

Midway up the temple complex, on the middle terrace, the processional route was flanked by colossal kneeling statues. These regal figures, carved in stone, portrayed Hatshepsut not as a queen, but as the ideal pharaoh, a youthful male ruler in his prime, embodying timeless authority and divine legitimacy.

This imposing statue of Hatshepsut, hewn from lustrous pink granite, stands at an impressive height of 261.5 centimetres (just over 102 inches), with a width of 80 centimetres and a depth of approximately 137 centimetres. Pink granite, prized for its strength and enduring beauty, was commonly quarried from the celebrated site of Aswan in southern Egypt. Its warm hue and resilient nature made it a favoured material for monuments, obelisks, and statuary intended to convey both permanence and divine splendour. In choosing this majestic stone, the craftsmen of Hatshepsut’s reign sought not only durability but also a sense of regal magnificence befitting one of Egypt’s most remarkable pharaohs.

New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, co-regency of Thutmose III & Hatshepsut, c. 1479–1458 B.C.

From the Senenmut Quarry at Deir el-Bahari. Now at the Met Museum. 29.3.1