Power of the King

The king in art was identified by specific inscriptions, regalia, and symbols of power often containing animal features. It was the king's awesome responsibility to maintain order over chaos.


Pectoral of Princess Sithathoryunet
Egyptians believed the king was the incarnation of Horus, cosmic sky god and god of the rising sun. On this pectoral the two Horus falcons wear a solar disk and uraeus on their heads. In perfect symmetry, they flank the king’s name and grant life and dominion to the king.

 

 


West wall from a chapel built by Sety I for his father, Ramesses I
The uraeus, the rearing cobra with hood dilated as if to strike, appears as a symbol of power and protection on the diadem worn by the king.

 


Sphinx of Senwosret III
From prehistoric times, the characteristics of the lion symbolized the power of the king. The sphinx, a lion with a human head, is a complex image in which the royal aspect of the lion is reinforced by the face of the ruling king without losing the lion's associations with divine guardianship.

 

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Statue of Hatshepsut 
Suspended from the back of the royal kilt was an ornamental bull's tail, signifying that the king possessed the powers of strength, aggressiveness, and fertility. Here, because the statue of Hatshepsut is seated, the bull's tail symbol can barely be seen as a strip between the legs.

 

 

Ivory hunting dog
In scenes on temple walls and on works of royal art, the king was often shown with his hunting dog, who would leap to his assistance when the king was hunting a lion. The image is a symbol of the king's bravery and his vital role as the foe of chaos, represented by the lion. Perhaps this ivory hunting dog was placed in a royal tomb where it was meant to magically assist its owner in the afterlife.
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