San Antonio Sekhmet Analysis

Located in the west wing of the San Antonio Museum of Art, standing at 6 feet tall, is the statue of Egyptian goddess, Sekhmet. The statue, which is made from granodiorite dates back to the 18th dynasty (New Kingdom) circa 1390-1352 BC during the reign of Amenhotep lll (Art, San Antonio Museum of. "San Antonio Museum of Art - Sekhmet." San Antonio Museum of Art - Sekhmet. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016). Many seated statues of Sekhmet were made for Amenhotep III’s funerary complex near Thebes. They were later moved to the temple of the goddess Mut at Karnak, where this statue was most likely found (Sekhmet. 1390 - 1352 BC. SAMA, San Antonio, TX.).

Using the subtractive sculpting technique and created in a 3D seated position, the statue stands at 71 in. in height, 21 in. in width, and a diameter of 40 in (Art, San Antonio Museum of. "San Antonio Museum of Art - Sekhmet." San Antonio Museum of Art - Sekhmet. N.p., n.d. Web. 13 Oct. 2016). This piece includes hieroglyphic inscriptions on either sides of her legs giving Amenhotep III’s name and titles, describing him as “beloved of Sekhmet.” (Sekhmet. 1390 - 1352 BC. San Antonio Museum of Art, San …show more content…
For example, sometimes they were used to bring healing properties to a sick pharaoh or were used to smite the enemies of Egypt. The artistic choices used to determine the meaning behind a statue of Sekhmet can be observed by a few differences. Whether a statue was made to be standing or in a seated position is one observance that can tell us what the intentions were. Another would be the hieroglyphics depicted on the statue. Some would offer a blessing and others a curse. No matter the specific intention behind the design of the statue, the one common factor remains that the statue of Sekhmet was always designed to protect a god or pharaoh, whether it be from illness or