Statue of Hatshepsut at Karnak Temple

Statue @ Karnak Temple
Originally uploaded by JuanJ
For those of you who are familiar with Dylan Bickerstaffe's article on the burial of Hatshepsut, posted here, will be familiar with this statue.

I often find that many of my best "Hatshepsut leads" have been found by accident. The statue in question has been in my possession for some time (Flickr favourites, not my own photographs). I have a number of different shots of this statue from as many different angles as i could locate. The reason being is the clear Thutmoside face and the inscriptions on the walls behind and around the statue.

Firstly the two visible cartouches, showing the Prenomen on Thutmose III. These can be seen to the right of the statues knees, the other the the left of the (missing) left arm of the statue.

Secondly the condition of the hieroglyphics to the left of the statue. This struck me as a familiar site for me when seeing Thutmose III erasing and re-carving Hatsheput's inscriptions.

Thirdly and the most significant is the fate of the statues beard and nose. Rather than simply breaking at a time when the statue had fallen- by accident or not, this has been carefully and deliberately, leaving most of the rest of the statue in good condition.

I could not see and inscriptions on the statue from the limited photographs to hand, but i would expect to see much the same- erasure and re-carving.

I don't know the history of this statue. At some stage it has been unearthed at Karnak (perhaps where it sits today?) and survives in its current state somewhere within the area of Thutmose III.

Further information will be added (when known), especially on whether or not there are any inscriptions on the statue.

Regards,
Stuart