Sphinx of Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty Female Pharaoh)

Image: Statue of Hatshepsut depicted as a sphinx showing a female pharaoh in traditional royal form

This statue shows the pharaoh Hatshepsut (18th Dynasty) represented in sphinx form. Although the Great Sphinx of Giza is generally understood to depict a male ruler, examples like this demonstrate that the sphinx form itself was not exclusively male in ancient Egyptian art.

For a more detailed discussion, see the dedicated article on this page.

Source: Sphinx from Deir el-Bahri, Thebes 1926–28, The Metropolitan Museum of Art

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