Statue of a Sitting Figure of Goddess Sekhmet

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Illustration

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
by
published on 21 July 2016
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Statue of a Sitting Figure of Goddess Sekhmet Download Full Size Image

Sekhmet was a lion goddess, whose name means "the mighty one", and she personified the aggressive aspects of other goddesses. Sekhmet was a daughter of the sun god Ra. She usually wears the sun-disc on her head. A famous myth recounts how she almost obliterated humankind for conspiring against her father's rule. She was associated with destruction and plague, but her powers could also be invoked for healing. Like other goddesses, she usually holds a looped cross and papyrus stalk; emblems of life (ankh) and flourishing (wadj). Based on its size, style, and exquisite craftsmanship, there can be no doubt that this statue was made during the reign of Amenhotep III. The only inscriptions it bears today, on the front sides of the throne, display cartouches with the throne and birth names of Sheshonq I, who founded the 22nd Dynasty, around 954 BCE. He lived at a time of less prosperity when the usurpation of earlier statues by both royal and private individuals became common practice. From the temple of Mut at Thebes, Karnak, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, reign of Amenhotep III, 1390-1352 BCE.

The British Museum, London.

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About the Author

Osama Shukir Muhammed Amin
Associate Professor of Neurology and lover of the Cradle of Civilization, Mesopotamia. I'm very interested in Mesopotamian history and always try to take photos of archaeological sites and artifacts in museums, both in Iraq and around the world.

Cite This Work

APA Style

Amin, O. S. M. (2016, July 21). Statue of a Sitting Figure of Goddess Sekhmet. World History Encyclopedia. Retrieved from https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5379/statue-of-a-sitting-figure-of-goddess-sekhmet/

Chicago Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Statue of a Sitting Figure of Goddess Sekhmet." World History Encyclopedia. Last modified July 21, 2016. https://www.worldhistory.org/image/5379/statue-of-a-sitting-figure-of-goddess-sekhmet/.

MLA Style

Amin, Osama Shukir Muhammed. "Statue of a Sitting Figure of Goddess Sekhmet." World History Encyclopedia. World History Encyclopedia, 21 Jul 2016. Web. 25 Jul 2024.

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