Collections: Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art: Kneeling Statue of Senenmut

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Kneeling Statue of Senenmut

Senenmut, a powerful official of the female pharaoh Hatshepsut, commissioned at least twenty-five statues of himself. This innovative statue type, which shows him holding a divine symbol, was offered to Montu, the god of Armant, in petition for Hatshepsut's well-being and his own eternal reward. The image, which depicts a cobra resting on a pair of upraised arms and crowned with a cow's horns and a sun disk, is identified in the inscription as Renenutet, a goddess of harvest and nourishment. However, it can also be read as a cryptogram for Maatkara, Hatshepsut's throne name—a visual pun made possible by the close relationship between Egyptian hieroglyphic writing and art.


• Medium: Granite
• Dates: ca. 1478-1458 B.C.E.
• Dynasty: XVIII Dynasty
• Period: New Kingdom
• Dimensions: 18 9/16 x 6 7/8 in. (47.2 x 17.4 cm) Base: 6 3/4 x 2 15/16 x 11 9/16 in. (17.2 x 7.5 x 29.3 cm)
• Collections: Egyptian, Classical, Ancient Near Eastern Art
• Museum Location: This item is on view in Egypt Reborn: Art for Eternity, Egyptian Orientation Gallery, 3rd Floor
• Accession Number: 67.68
• Credit Line: Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
• Rights Statement: Creative Commons-BY-NC

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• Caption: Kneeling Statue of Senenmut, ca. 1478-1458 B.C.E. Granite, 18 9/16 x 6 7/8 in. (47.2 x 17.4 cm) Base: 6 3/4 x 2 15/16 x 11 9/16 in. (17.2 x 7.5 x 29.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 67.68. Creative Commons-BY-NC
• Image: Overall, 67.68_SL1.jpg. Brooklyn Museum photograph
Kneeling Statue of Senenmut, ca. 1478-1458 B.C.E. Granite, 18 9/16 x 6 7/8 in. (47.2 x 17.4 cm) Base: 6 3/4 x 2 15/16 x 11 9/16 in. (17.2 x 7.5 x 29.3 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 67.68. Creative Commons-BY-NC (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 67.68_SL1.jpg)