Sphinx of King Sheshenq
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Object Label
The sphinx was one of many composite beings created by the ancient Egyptians. Such images were not simply combinations of human and animal forms; they emphasized the more-than-human aspects of the subject.
Small figures of sphinxes were made as temple offerings or as part of the decoration of cult objects. When added to ritual objects, sphinxes such as this served a protective role. The figure is inscribed for a King Sheshenq, but we cannot be certain which of the five pharaohs named Sheshenq is shown.
Caption
Sphinx of King Sheshenq, ca. 945–712 B.C.E.. Bronze, 1 15/16 x 13/16 x 2 7/8 in. (4.9 x 2.1 x 7.3 cm) mount (Display dimensions): 2 1/4 x 1 1/8 x 3 in. (5.7 x 2.9 x 7.6 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund, 33.586. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: Brooklyn Museum, 33.586_edited_SL1.jpg)
Gallery
Not on view
Gallery
Not on view
Title
Sphinx of King Sheshenq
Date
ca. 945–712 B.C.E.
Dynasty
Dynasty 22 to Dynasty 23
Period
Third Intermediate Period
Geography
Place made: Egypt
Medium
Bronze
Classification
Dimensions
1 15/16 x 13/16 x 2 7/8 in. (4.9 x 2.1 x 7.3 cm) mount (Display dimensions): 2 1/4 x 1 1/8 x 3 in. (5.7 x 2.9 x 7.6 cm)
Credit Line
Charles Edwin Wilbour Fund
Accession Number
33.586
Rights
Creative Commons-BY
You may download and use Brooklyn Museum images of this three-dimensional work in accordance with a Creative Commons license. Fair use, as understood under the United States Copyright Act, may also apply. Please include caption information from this page and credit the Brooklyn Museum. If you need a high resolution file, please fill out our online application form (charges apply). For further information about copyright, we recommend resources at the United States Library of Congress, Cornell University, Copyright and Cultural Institutions: Guidelines for U.S. Libraries, Archives, and Museums, and Copyright Watch. For more information about the Museum's rights project, including how rights types are assigned, please see our blog posts on copyright. If you have any information regarding this work and rights to it, please contact copyright@brooklynmuseum.org.
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