DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.41333#0023
Mikolaj Budzanowski
Cracow
The Sitting Statues of Hatshepsut in their Architectural Setting
in the Temple Djeser-Djeseru at Deir el-Bahari*
(Plates 2-3)
The architectonic complex located in the Upper
Terrace of Hatshepsut’s temple in Deir el-Bahari is
notable for the large number of chapels and cult niches
decorated with reliefs depicting offerings made in
front of a sitting statue of a monarch or her family.* 1
This number has been recently increased to the total
of 21, after several unknown fragments of chapels in
the Solar Cult Complex and in the Sanctuary were
discovered by the Polish Archaeological Mission2
(fig. 1). Within each of these chapels the central func-
tion belonged to the sitting statues, as indicative of
the sacral direction (this aspect of their positioning
can be inferred from the relief decorations ). The stat-
ues, carved in stone or cast in precious metal, were
actual recipients of the cult and, save for the divine
images, belonged to the most important objects lo-
cated in the temple.3 Two statues’ dumped-places,
unearthed by H. WINLOCK in the 1920s give us
a clear idea of the statuary outfit inside the Upper
Terrace.4 But, the group of major import for our in-
terest is that of five sitting statues, whose stylistics
* I am deeply thankful to Dr Zbigniew E. SZAFRANSKI for
his valuable support, commenting on this paper, encour-
agement and for permission to publish the material from
Deir el-Bahari. My sincere appreciation goes to Profes-
sor Hourig SOUROUZIAN for her remarks and comments
on the first draft of this paper.
1 Eight of them are placed on the western wall of the Festival
Courtyard; seven within the main sanctuary (six in the Bark-
Hall room and one as the last, third room), four in the Solar
Cult Complex and two in the southern part of the terrace.
2 According to the concept of A. KWASNICA. Cf.
F. PAWLICKI, Deir el-Bahari, The Temple of Queen
Hatshepsut, 1997/1998, PAMX (1999), pp. 127-128, fig. 5.
3 “.. .les sculptures de Pharaon assis ne font pas reference
a une action du monarque, mais elles sont plutot passives,
receptrice de Taction...” in: D. LABOURY, La statuaire de
Thoutmosis III. Essai d’interpretation d’un portait royal
dans son contexte historique, /Egyptiaca Leodiensia 5,
Liege 1998 (hereinafter referred to as: Statuaire de
Thoutmosis III), p- 436.
4 The so-called Hatshepsut Hole and Senenmut Quarry, cf.
were comprehensively analysed by R. TEFNIN.5
However, ever since their discovery in the Senenmut’s
Quarry almost no attention has been paid to the po-
sitioning of the statues on the temple’s terraces or to
their actual function.6 Nevertheless, as these exten-
sive studies furthered our knowledge of the architec-
tural design of the Upper Terrace, we may under-
take a discussion of this particular problem and at-
tempt to locate the statues within the architectonic
scheme.
This tentative reconstruction rests upon one cru-
cial premise: the existence of a link connecting the
relief decorations with the object displayed in a given
place.7 The chapel of Sethi I in Memphis may serve
as a good example of such a link, as the sitting stat-
ues of the king and divinities we find there corre-
spond to the chambers' reliefs.8 An additional refer-
ence point is provided by another chapel belonging
to the same king inside his famous temple in Abydos.9
SOUROUZIAN convincingly attributes to the chapel
the famous statue of the pharaoh in the Vienna
RF. DORMAN, The Tombs of Senenmut. The Architecture
and Decoration of Tombs 71 and 353, New York, 1991,
p. 21, fig. 1.
5 R. TEFNIN, La statuaire d’Hatshepsout. Portrait royal et
politique sous la 18e Dynastie, MonAeg 4, Bruxelles 1979
(hereinafter referred to as: Statuaire d'Hatshepsout), pp.
1-36, pi. I-vn.
6 H. WINLOCK, Excavations at Deir el-Bahari 1911-1931,
New York 1942 (hereinafter referred to as: Excavations),
pp. 88 and 186. The author suggested, that the statues
MMA 30.3.3 and MMA 29.3.3 were placed in Hathor
chapel, while the famous alabaster (MMA 29.3.2) was lo-
cated in the mortuary chapel of Hatshepsut.
7 H. SOUROUZIAN, Statues et representations de
statues royales sous Sethi I, MDA1K49 (1993), pp. 239-
257, table 45-51.
8 Ibidem, pp. 247-249, pis. 47,48.
9 A.M. CALVERLEY, M.F. BROOME, A.H. GARDINER, The
Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos II, London-Chicago
1935, pis. 32,35.
17
Cracow
The Sitting Statues of Hatshepsut in their Architectural Setting
in the Temple Djeser-Djeseru at Deir el-Bahari*
(Plates 2-3)
The architectonic complex located in the Upper
Terrace of Hatshepsut’s temple in Deir el-Bahari is
notable for the large number of chapels and cult niches
decorated with reliefs depicting offerings made in
front of a sitting statue of a monarch or her family.* 1
This number has been recently increased to the total
of 21, after several unknown fragments of chapels in
the Solar Cult Complex and in the Sanctuary were
discovered by the Polish Archaeological Mission2
(fig. 1). Within each of these chapels the central func-
tion belonged to the sitting statues, as indicative of
the sacral direction (this aspect of their positioning
can be inferred from the relief decorations ). The stat-
ues, carved in stone or cast in precious metal, were
actual recipients of the cult and, save for the divine
images, belonged to the most important objects lo-
cated in the temple.3 Two statues’ dumped-places,
unearthed by H. WINLOCK in the 1920s give us
a clear idea of the statuary outfit inside the Upper
Terrace.4 But, the group of major import for our in-
terest is that of five sitting statues, whose stylistics
* I am deeply thankful to Dr Zbigniew E. SZAFRANSKI for
his valuable support, commenting on this paper, encour-
agement and for permission to publish the material from
Deir el-Bahari. My sincere appreciation goes to Profes-
sor Hourig SOUROUZIAN for her remarks and comments
on the first draft of this paper.
1 Eight of them are placed on the western wall of the Festival
Courtyard; seven within the main sanctuary (six in the Bark-
Hall room and one as the last, third room), four in the Solar
Cult Complex and two in the southern part of the terrace.
2 According to the concept of A. KWASNICA. Cf.
F. PAWLICKI, Deir el-Bahari, The Temple of Queen
Hatshepsut, 1997/1998, PAMX (1999), pp. 127-128, fig. 5.
3 “.. .les sculptures de Pharaon assis ne font pas reference
a une action du monarque, mais elles sont plutot passives,
receptrice de Taction...” in: D. LABOURY, La statuaire de
Thoutmosis III. Essai d’interpretation d’un portait royal
dans son contexte historique, /Egyptiaca Leodiensia 5,
Liege 1998 (hereinafter referred to as: Statuaire de
Thoutmosis III), p- 436.
4 The so-called Hatshepsut Hole and Senenmut Quarry, cf.
were comprehensively analysed by R. TEFNIN.5
However, ever since their discovery in the Senenmut’s
Quarry almost no attention has been paid to the po-
sitioning of the statues on the temple’s terraces or to
their actual function.6 Nevertheless, as these exten-
sive studies furthered our knowledge of the architec-
tural design of the Upper Terrace, we may under-
take a discussion of this particular problem and at-
tempt to locate the statues within the architectonic
scheme.
This tentative reconstruction rests upon one cru-
cial premise: the existence of a link connecting the
relief decorations with the object displayed in a given
place.7 The chapel of Sethi I in Memphis may serve
as a good example of such a link, as the sitting stat-
ues of the king and divinities we find there corre-
spond to the chambers' reliefs.8 An additional refer-
ence point is provided by another chapel belonging
to the same king inside his famous temple in Abydos.9
SOUROUZIAN convincingly attributes to the chapel
the famous statue of the pharaoh in the Vienna
RF. DORMAN, The Tombs of Senenmut. The Architecture
and Decoration of Tombs 71 and 353, New York, 1991,
p. 21, fig. 1.
5 R. TEFNIN, La statuaire d’Hatshepsout. Portrait royal et
politique sous la 18e Dynastie, MonAeg 4, Bruxelles 1979
(hereinafter referred to as: Statuaire d'Hatshepsout), pp.
1-36, pi. I-vn.
6 H. WINLOCK, Excavations at Deir el-Bahari 1911-1931,
New York 1942 (hereinafter referred to as: Excavations),
pp. 88 and 186. The author suggested, that the statues
MMA 30.3.3 and MMA 29.3.3 were placed in Hathor
chapel, while the famous alabaster (MMA 29.3.2) was lo-
cated in the mortuary chapel of Hatshepsut.
7 H. SOUROUZIAN, Statues et representations de
statues royales sous Sethi I, MDA1K49 (1993), pp. 239-
257, table 45-51.
8 Ibidem, pp. 247-249, pis. 47,48.
9 A.M. CALVERLEY, M.F. BROOME, A.H. GARDINER, The
Temple of King Sethos I at Abydos II, London-Chicago
1935, pis. 32,35.
17