Friday 13 May 2011

Hatshepsut in Bournemouth - Part 2

In a recent post (Hatshepsut in Bournemouth), I wanted to highlight an Ancient Egypt Magazine article. The article in question, written by Stephanie Roberts was not replicated in my last post and will not be here (due to copyright) but i will offer more information here.

The relief depicts two pharaohs, side by side. The pharaoh to the right is distinguished by his cartouche. This pharaoh is Menkheperre Thutmose III. The pharaoh on the left is distinguished by the (all too familiar) mostly erased cartouche. This is Maatkare Hatshepsut.

Hatshepsut and Thutmose III are cut off from the waist down. They face right (their left), apparently within a canopy, possibly on a boat. Both hold a crook in their left hands (arms are bent at the elbow) and wear the blue crown. Behind them (mainly Hatshepsut) a large fan can easily be seen. The relief is housed within a wooden frame/case.

After reading the article a number of times, i contacted Stephanie. Stephanie was able to confirm that her journey is not over, yet continues in a positive manner. The aim for Stephanie in writing the article would be to both share the relief and also to embark on a journey to locate the origin of the relief.

Deir el Bahri is one of a number of potential sites which a relief like this may have originated from. Perhaps a chance find may prove fruitful:
"On the back of the case is what looks like a page from an old note book. There are several names here that are difficult to read but there is also a rough map showing the top tier of Dier el Bahri. It shows the two ramps, the granite arch and the niched facade at the back of the upper tier. I am sure this is where the relief was discovered by Henry Danby Seymour early in the 1800s"
No conclusions can be reached by the information mentioned thus far, but as with many things relating to Ancient Egypt, patience is always the key. I wish you well, Stephanie. Thank you for offering further information and good luck.

Regards,
Stuart

2 comments:

Unknown said...

Hi Everyone. Stuart has invited me to join this lovely site. Its nice to meet others that are passionate about Hatshepsut, who she was and what she did. I was very lucky to be able to research the relief that Stuart has mentioned. I think that I know the complete story now, Where it came from and who made it but want to tie up some loose ends before publishing it.
I will keep you informed as the work progresses. Stephanie

Anonymous said...

Very important project I read great post about queen Hatshepsut in http://famouspharaohs.blogspot.com/2007/10/hatshepsut-also-called-hatshopsitu-1498.html