I have a very complex relationship with Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 (this is probably the first time you’ve read that sentence)! Many people will probably not agree with me on this (that’s okay), but I think that Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 was Egypt’s 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 greatest pharaoh 𓉐𓉻! He ruled 𓋾 Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 for 54 𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓎆𓏽 years, and was a very accomplished general 𓀎𓏦, having led troops into battle himself. Thutmosis III 𓅝𓄠𓋴 has been rumored to have never lost a battle!
So why my complex feelings about Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣? It all has to do with Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪! Thutmosis III 𓅝𓄠𓋴 was only three 𓏼 years old when his father Thutmosis II 𓇳𓉻𓆣𓈖 passed away, and was a co-regent with Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 before she completely took over the throne. During her rule 𓋾, Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 was a member of the military and gained valuable experience that allowed him to be such a successful pharaoh 𓉐𓉻. I believe that Hatshepsut’s 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 successful rule set Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 up for his extremely successful reign.
About 25 𓎆𓎆𓏾 years after Hatshepsut’s 𓇳𓁦𓂓 death, Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 went on a campaign to have her statuary destroyed and her name 𓂋𓈖 taken off of monuments 𓏠𓏍. No one knows why this occurred or the events that lead up to Thutmosis III 𓇳𓏠𓆣 doing this! This is where my complex feelings come in because Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is my absolute favorite pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 and I believe that she is also one of the greatest rulers that Egypt 𓆎𓅓𓏏𓊖 ever had!
I find this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 to be so beautiful 𓄤 because the white 𓌉𓆓𓇳 limestone 𓇋𓈖𓈙𓌉 (it honestly looks like marble to me – but marble is metamorphosed limestone) contrasts so well with the black 𓆎𓅓 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 on the nemes 𓈖𓅓𓋴 head cloth and the eyes 𓁹𓏦. Some red 𓂧𓈙𓂋𓅟 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 can even still be seen on the Uraeus 𓇋𓂝𓂋𓏏𓆗 that is on Thutmosis III’s 𓅝𓄠𓋴 forehead!
The face of this statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 is not the original, it is a cast; the original face is in the Egyptian Museum in Cairo! The MET then made a cast of the torso of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, and that is now at the Egyptian Museum as well! So each museum has a real part of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾, and a cast of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾! The face and torso of the statue 𓏏𓅱𓏏𓀾 were not found at the same time, hence why they ended up in different places!
This is my personal photograph and original text. DO NOT repost.