The Representation Of Sakhmet In Egyptian Mythology

This statue portrays the goddess Sakhmet in a seated, and therefore static position. Her head is that of a lioness--as most Ancient Egyptian gods were depicted with the head of a creature--and she is frontal, engaging the viewer with her gaze, giving herself a sense of presence. The statue is does not stand freely and is attached to the throne in which she sits. She is clothed in typical royal egyptian garments. Being that Sakhmet was a goddess worshipped from Old Kingdom to the Early Period, it can be assumed that several statutes similar to this one were created so the expressionless face and lack of dynamism show that this was created for longevity rather than being a statement. Both hands rest on her lap, her right palm facing down and …show more content…
The ankh is typically reflected in egyptian art because of its hieroglyphical translation to “life”. The sun disc is associated with one of the main gods of the sun (or the spirit thereof) was the god Aten, who was heavily endorsed by the ruling pharaoh Akhenaten during the New Kingdom. A representation of Aten, seen as the nurturing spirit of the sun, is reflected by the sun disc that surrounds the head of Sakhmet. Ptah--another god of creation--was associated with Lower Egyptian capital of Memphis while Amun, who was the primary god in egyptian mythology, was associated with the Upper Egyptian capital of Thebes. During the New Kingdom, Sakhmet became heavily connected with Amun’s wife, Mut when she married Ptah. Because Mut was seen as the mother goddess of Thebes, Sakhmet acquired similar motherly qualities. This statue reflects the presence of those motherly qualities in the way that her left hand grasps the ankh, representing life and because Sakhmet was the goddess of war but also the goddess of healing, I think the artist who created the sculpture wanted to reflect that power in the sense that she is essentially holding life in the palm of her …show more content…
In subject matter, he is also seated and taking on a presence by gazing out frontally at the viewer. Even though this is now a sculpture of a king, not a god, both were seen as equal in ancient egypt. For example, his body is also idealized in the sense that he is athletic and he is wearing traditional royal garments as well as headpiece. He is not represented with the head of a creature, like Sakhmet but he does have that same expressionless face. One of his palms faces down, just as Sakhmet, but the other hand