Sphinx of Queen Hatshepsut
The sphinx of Queen Hatshepsut is carved in a fairly classical pose, in a similar manner to the Middle Kingdom sphinxes of Amenemhat III. The front legs extend forward and the tail curls around the right hind leg.
This sphinx is a portrait of Hatshepsut with the elegant feminine features of all her statues: almond-shaped eyes under arched brows, a fine aquiline or hooked nose, and a small smiling mouth. Writing on the chest reads, “Maatkare, Beloved of Amun, may life be given forever.”
New Kingdom, 18th Dynasty, reign of Hatshepsut, ca. 1479-1458 BC. Granite, from Deir el-Bahari. Now in the Egyptian Museum, Cairo. JE 53114
