Here I am with a small 𓈖𓆓𓋴𓅩 “Kneeling Statue of Hatshepsut.” This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is in the “Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 Room” at the MET – aka Gallery 115, which is my absolute favorite room in any museum I have ever been to! I love the details on this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 – especially the black 𓆎𓅓 paint 𓇨𓂋𓅱𓏭𓏸𓏦 around the eyes 𓁹𓏏𓏦!
This statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾 is made out of black/pink granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 (also called red granite by geologists)! The black 𓆎𓅓 and pink granite 𓅓𓌳𓏏𓎶 is traditionally found in Aswan 𓋴𓃹𓈖𓏌𓏲𓊖 (Upper Egypt 𓇓). In the USA, black 𓆎𓅓 and pink granite is commonly found in Nevada and other western 𓋀𓏏𓏭 states!
While not as grand as some of her other statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪 that adorned her temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐 at Deir el-Bahri 𓂦𓂋𓂦𓏥𓉐, this one makes quite an impression. There are at least eight of these statues 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾𓏪, and many of them are in the MET. They were most likely used to line the upper court at her temple 𓉟𓏏𓉐, and are thought to be intended for her Heb Sed festival (a festival used to celebrate 30 𓎆𓎆𓎆 years of rule, and then celebrated every three 𓏼 years after the initial 30 𓎆𓎆𓎆). Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪, ever the Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 to break from tradition, instead celebrated hers in the 16th 𓎆𓏿 year of her rule!
In this statue 𓄚𓈖𓏏𓏭𓀾, Hatshepsut 𓇋𓏠𓈖𓎹𓏏𓄂𓏏𓀼𓏪 is kneeling and is seen holding the nemset jar 𓏌. The jar 𓏌 has the djed pillar 𓊽 adorning the front. The djed pillar 𓊽 is thought to be the spine of Osiris 𓁹𓊨𓀭, and it represents stability and endurance – both are attributes a Pharaoh 𓉐𓉻 needed in order to be a successful ruler 𓋾!
