Base of a Hatshepsut Statue

If an object has Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 name 𓂋𓈖 or face on it, I am going to get excited about it – no matter what the artifact is! I was so excited to see this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 base on my most recent trip to the MET because it has not been on display for a while!

This limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 base shows Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 throne name cartouche 𓏠𓈖𓈙𓍷 on the left, and an image 𓏏𓅱𓏏 of her as a sphinx 𓎛𓅱𓃭𓏤 on the right. It may be difficult to see in the picture 𓏏𓅱𓏏, but some of the paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 has been retained on the limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉. 

The statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 that stood on top of this base is most likely long gone. Most of Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 statues 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾𓏪 from her temple at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐 were found in pieces, as they were intentionally destroyed after her death 𓅓𓏏𓏱. 

Let’s read some hieroglyphs 𓊹𓌃𓏪! 

This piece contains Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 throne name or prenomen, which is the name 𓂋𓈖 she took when she became the pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! Let’s take a closer look at this beautiful 𓄤𓆑𓂋 name 𓂋𓈖! 

𓇳𓁦𓂓 – Maatkare 

Let’s break down each of the symbols! 

𓇳 – Re

𓁦 – Truth (Maat)

𓂓 – Soul (Ka)

So all 𓎟 together 𓈖𓊗, her name 𓂋𓈖 translates to “Truth is the Soul of Re.”