Hostname: page-component-8448b6f56d-42gr6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-04-16T23:50:55.428Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

SEKHMET STATUES FROM THE REIGN OF AMENHOTEP iii IN THE BRITISH MUSEUM and A FORMERLY UNCATALOGUED HEAD FRAGMENT: A REASSESSMENT

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  09 October 2018

Tara Draper-Stumm*
Affiliation:
8 Lime Tree Walk, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 1YH, UK. Email: taradraperstumm@icloud.com

Abstract

Beyond the borders of Egypt, the British Museum has the largest collection of granodiorite statues and fragments of statues of the goddess Sekhmet produced in the reign of Amenhotep iii (c 1390–1352 bc; eighteenth dynasty). With so much new material being uncovered in recent years at the site of Amenhotep iii’s funerary temple at Kom el-Hettan in Luxor (Egypt), a reassessment of the British Museum statues was inevitable. The British Museum statues are an ideal sample group for study, offering variations in type, proportions, stone colouration, decoration and state of finish. The group also includes a formerly uncatalogued head fragment with an unusual uraei crown, which relates to surviving examples found at the Mut Temple at Karnak and at Kom el-Hettan in Luxor.

Type
Papers
Copyright
© The Society of Antiquaries of London, 2018 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Secondary sources

Allen, J P 2005. The Art of Medicine in Ancient Egypt, Yale University Press, New Haven Google Scholar
Belzoni, G 1820. Narrative of the Operations and Recent Discoveries within the Pyramids, Temples, Tombs, and Excavation in Egypt and Nubia; and of a Journey to the Coast of the Red Sea, in search of ancient Berenice; and Another to the Oasis of Jupiter Ammon, John Murray, London Google Scholar
Benson, M and Gourlay, J 1899. The Temple of Mut in Asher, John Murray, London Google Scholar
Berman, L 2015. ‘Statues of Sekhmet in the Museum of Fine Arts Boston’, in R Jasnow and K M Cooney (eds), Joyful in Thebes: Egyptological studies in honor of Betsy M Byran, 3742, Lockwood Press, Atlanta Google Scholar
Bierbrier, M I 1999. ‘The acquisition by the British Museum of antiquities discovered during the French Invasion of Egypt’, in W V Davies (ed), Studies in Egyptian Antiquities: a tribute to T G H James, Brit Mus Occas Paper 123, 111113, British Museum Press, London Google Scholar
Bryan, B M 1997. ‘The statue program for the mortuary temple of Amenhotep iii ,’ in S Quirke (ed), The Temple in Ancient Egypt: new discoveries and recent research, 5781, British Museum Press, London Google Scholar
Bryan, B M 2007. ‘A newly discovered statue of a queen from the reign of Amenhotep iii , in S H D’Auria (ed), Servant of Mut: studies in honor of Richard A Fazzini, 3234, Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden Google Scholar
Bryan, B M 2010. ‘Amenhotep iii’s legacy in the Temple of Mut’, in S H D’Auria (ed), Offerings to the Discerning Eye: an Egyptological medley in honor of Jack A Josephson, 6372, Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden Google Scholar
Bryan, B M 2014. ‘Hatshepsut and cultic revelries in the New Kingdom’, in J Galán, B M Bryan and P F Dorman (eds), Creativity and Innovation in the Reign of Hatshepsut, Studies in Ancient Oriental Civilization 69, 93123, The Oriental Institute of The University of Chicago, Chicago Google Scholar
Cabrol, A 1995. ‘ Une représentation de la tombe de Khâbekhenet et les Dromos de Karnak-Sud: nouvelle hypothèses ’, Cahiers de Karnak, 10, 3357 Google Scholar
D’Athanasi, G 1836. A Brief Account of the Researches and Discoveries in Upper Egypt, Made under the Direction of Henry Salt, Esq, John Hearne, London Google Scholar
Davies, B G 1992. Egyptian Historical Records of the Later Eighteenth Dynasty, Fascicle IV, Aris & Phillips Ltd, Warminster Google Scholar
Draper-Stumm, T 2012. ‘Travellers from an antique land: statues of the goddess Sekhmet in the British Museum’, unpublished MA dissertation, Birkbeck, University of LondonGoogle Scholar
Fazzini, R 1996. ‘Bust from a statue of the goddess Sekhmet’, catalogue entry 65 in A K Capel and G E Markoe (eds), Mistress of the House, Mistress of Heaven: women in Ancient Egypt, 134136, Hudson Hills Press, New York Google Scholar
Fazzini, R 2005. ‘The precinct of the goddess Mut at south Karnak, 1996–2001’, ASAE, 79, 8594 Google Scholar
Fazzini, R 2011. ‘The Brooklyn Museum’s 2011 season of fieldwork at the precinct of Mut at south Karnak’, report prepared for the Supreme Council of Antiquities, ASAE Google Scholar
Fazzini, R and Peck, W H 1983. ‘Excavating the Temple of Mut’, Archaeology, 36 (2), 1623 Google Scholar
Fitzclarence, Lieutenant-Colonel 1819. Journal of a Route Across India, Through Egypt to England in the Latter End of the Year 1817 and the Beginning of 1818, John Murray, London Google Scholar
Gauthier, M H 1920. ‘ Les statues Thébaines de la Déesse Sakhmet ’, ASAE, 19, 177207 Google Scholar
Germond, P 1981. Sekhmet et la Protection du Monde, Aegyptiaca Helvetica, Geneva Google Scholar
Griffiths, S 2017. ‘Statue finds at the Amenhotep iii temple’, Ancient Egypt 17 (5), 89 Google Scholar
Hamilton, W 1809. Remarks on Several Parts of Turkey. Part I. Aegyptiaca or Some Account of the Antient and Modern State of Egypt, as obtained in the years 1801, 1802, T. Payne and Cadelle and Davies, London Google Scholar
Haeny, G (ed) 1981. Untersuchungen im Totentempel Amenophis iii , Franz Steiner Verlag GmbH, Wiesbaden Google Scholar
James, T G H 1970. Hieroglyphic Texts from Egyptian Stelae, etc, in the British Museum: part 9, British Museum Press, London Google Scholar
Johnson, W R 2001. ‘Monuments and monumental art under Amenhotep iii: evolution and meaning’, in D O’Connor and E H Cline (eds), Amenhotep iii: perspectives on his reign, 6394, University of Michigan Press, Ann Arbor Google Scholar
Kozloff, A P 2006. ‘Bubonic plague in the reign of Amenhotep iii? Evidence of a less than idyllic time’, KMT, 17 (3), 3646 Google Scholar
Kozloff, A P 2012. Amenhotep iii: Egypt’s radiant pharaoh, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Google Scholar
Kozloff, A P and Bryan, B M 1992. Egypt’s Dazzling Sun: Amenhotep iii and his world, The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland Google Scholar
Lichtheim, M 1976. Ancient Egyptian Literature. Volume II: the New Kingdom, University of California Press, Berkeley Google Scholar
Lurson, B 2004. ‘ Les Sekhmet retrouvées au Ramesseum ’, Memnonia, XV, 103122 Google Scholar
Lythgoe, A M 1919. ‘Statues of the goddess Sekhmet’, Metropol Mus Art Bull, 14 (10/II), 323 Google Scholar
Manley, D and Rée, P 2001. Henry Salt. Artist, Traveller, Diplomat, Egyptologist, Libri Publications Ltd, London Google Scholar
Mayes, S 2006. The Great Belzoni: the circus strongman who discovered Egypt’s treasures, Tauris Parke Paperbacks, London Google Scholar
Moser, S 2006. Wonderous Curiosities: Ancient Egypt at the British Museum, University of Chicago Press, Chicago Google Scholar
Newberry, P E 1903. ‘The Sekhmet statues of the Temple of Mut at Karnak’, PSBA, 25, 217221 Google Scholar
Oliver, A 2014. American Travelers on the Nile: early US visitors to Egypt, 1774–1839, The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo Google Scholar
Parkinson, R 2005. The Rosetta Stone, The British Museum Press, London Google Scholar
Porter, B and Moss, R L B 1960. Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs and Paintings I: The Theban necropolis part I: private tombs, Oxford University Press, Oxford Google Scholar
Porter, B and Moss, R L B 1972. Topographical Bibliography of Ancient Egyptian Hieroglyphic Texts, Reliefs and Paintings II: Theban temples, Oxford University Press, Oxford Google Scholar
Scott, G D 2008. ‘A seated statue of Sekhmet and two related sculptures in the collection of the San Antonio Museum of Art’, in S H D’Auria (ed), Servant of Mut: studies in honor of Richard A Fazzini, 223234, Brill Academic Publishers, Leiden Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H 2002. ‘New colossal statues at Kom el-Hettan’, EA, 21 (autumn), 3637 Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H 2003 .Digging Kom El-Hettan: the Amenhotep iii temple conservation project’, KMT, 14 (1), 3443 Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H 2004. ‘Beyond Memnon’, Icon, summer, 1017 Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H 2006. ‘The Theban funerary temple of Amenhotep iii ’, EA, 29 (autumn), 2124 Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H 2010. ‘News from Kom El-Hettan in the season of spring 2007’, in S H D’Auria (ed), Offerings to the Discerning Eye: an Egyptological medley in honor of Jack A Josephson, 285293, Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H 2011. ‘ Le statuaire de Temple D’Amenhotep iii à Thèbes ’, in D Valbelle and J M Yoyotte (eds), Statues égyptiennes et kouchites démembrées et reconstituées : hommage à Charles Bonnet, 7192, Université Paris-Sorbonne, Paris Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H and Stadelmann, R 2003. ‘The temple of Amenhotep iii at Thebes. Excavation and conservation at Kom el-Hettan: second report on the third and fourth seasons in 2000/2001 and 2002’, MDAIK, 59, 425446 Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H and Stadelmann, R 2004. ‘The temple of Amenhotep iii at Thebes. Excavation and conservation at Kom el-Hettan: third report on the fifth season in 2002/2003’, MDAIK, 60, 171236 Google Scholar
Sourouzian, H and Stadelmann, R 2006. ‘Three seasons of work at the temple of Amenhotep iii at Kom el Hettan. Part III: works in the dewatered area of the peristyle court and hypostyle hall’, ASAE, 80, 401445 Google Scholar
Stadelmann, R 2002. ‘The mortuary temple of Amenhotep iii ’, in Z Hawass (ed), Egyptology at the Dawn of the Twenty-First Century. Proceedings of the eighth international congress of Egyptologists, vol 1: archaeology, 4703, The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo Google Scholar
Thompson, J 2015. Wonderful Things: a history of Egyptology, I: from Antiquity to 1881, The American University in Cairo Press, Cairo Google Scholar
Wilkinson, R H 2003. The Complete Gods and Goddesses of Ancient Egypt, Thames & Hudson, London Google Scholar
Yoyotte, J 1980. ‘ Une monumentale litanie de granit: les Sekhmet d’Amenophis iii et la conjuration permanente de la déesse dangereuse ’, Bull Société Française D’Égyptologie, 87–8, 4675 Google Scholar