subject: Statue Of Harwa Holding Two Figures Of Goddesses [print this page] Senmut was born of relatively humble parents, but rose to high office in the reign of Hatshepsut (1491-1479 BC) and was probably her most trusted official. Here he is shown holding the Princess Neferure, her only daughter.
Senmut entered royal service in the reign of Thutmose II (1492-1479 BC), who was married to Hatshepsut, his half-sister. The couple had no male heir, and Thutmose IIs only son and heir, Thutmose III, was the son of a lesser wife. On Thutmoses death, Hatshepsut was appointed regent for her young nephew, and later took on full royal titles as pharaoh.
There has been much speculation about Senmuts role during Hatshepsuts reign. By the time that Hatshepsut became regent, Senmut was Neferures tutor. He had made at least seven statues of himself with Neferure, and this is one of the finest.
Senmut is shown with his robe wrapped around the princess, emphasizing the close connection between them. He clearly saw his role as tutor as very important, and his success must have played a part in the subsequent favour he enjoyed when Hatshepsut became king. His numerous titles and positions also included the role of steward of Amun. He oversaw royal building works at Thebes and organized the transport and erection of the two great obelisks dedicated to Hatshepsut in the Temple of Amun at Karnak. There is no evidence that he ever married and he is usually depicted only with his parents or with Neferure, leading to suggestions (without evidence) that he was Hatshepsuts lover.
From the temple of Amun, Karnak, Thebes, Egypt, 18th Dynasty, around 1470 BC
T.G.H. James, Le prtendu sanctuaire de Karnak selon Budge, Bulletin de la socit franai, 75 (1976), pp. 7-30
T.G.H. James and W.V. Davies, Egyptian sculpture (London, The British Museum Press, 1983)
C. Meyer, Senenmut. Eine
prosopographisc (Hamburg, Borg, 1981)
E.R. Russmann, Eternal Egypt: masterworks of (University of California Press, 2001)
P.F. Dorman, The monuments of Senenmut (London, 1988)
Bone figure of a woman:
The earliest three-dimensional representations of humans from ancient Egypt have been found in graves of the Predynastic period (sixth millenium about 3100 BC). In the majority of cases they were found singly, but groups of up to as many as sixteen have been recorded. This example is one of a type of statue which shows a female figure with the arms either folded below the breasts or hanging down beside the body. Some examples were carved from limestone, but they are mostly of bone or ivory.
From their nakedness and from their emphasized sexual organs it has long been assumed that these figures were placed in the grave to act as concubines to the deceased in the Afterlife. However, they have not been exclusively found in burials of men but also of women and children, which suggests that their purpose was more generic. It is now thought that their presence was to provide magical support for the owners rebirth and regeneration.
The large and striking eyes are inlaid with lapis lazuli. The use of this rare material bears witness to the extensive trade network that must have existed in the Near East at this early a date, for the nearest lapis lazuli quarries are to be found in modern-day Afghanistan.
From Upper Egypt
Early Predynastic period, Naqada I, 4000-3600 BC
G. Hart, Pharaohs and pyramids: a guide (London, The Herbert Press Ltd., 1991)
I. Shaw and P. Nicholson (eds.), British Museum dictionary of A (London, The British Museum Press, 1995)
Height: 11.400 cm
Acquired by the British Museum in 1899
read more here ....http://www.egyptianmade.org/antiques
