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Primary sourceSculpture

Sculpture Head Probably of Hatshepsut

A carved stone head, probably depicting Hatshepsut, held in a Swedish museum.

A stone head tentatively identified as a likeness of Hatshepsut, illustrating how her image survives uncertainly.

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Photograph of a dark grey stone sculpture of a head, mounted on a red rectangular pedestal against a white background. The head has a tall, smooth-topped headdress, carved eyes, nose and mouth, and a worn surface. Catalogue label MM 11423 appears at lower right.
Round sculpture head, probably Hatshepsut. Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities, Sweden.

About this source

What it is

This is a round sculpture of a head, carved in stone, that the museum identifies as probably showing Hatshepsut. It is held by the Museum of Mediterranean and Near Eastern Antiquities in Sweden under catalogue number MM 11423.

Why it matters

Many images of Hatshepsut were damaged or altered after her death, so identifying surviving sculptures of her is often uncertain. This head, even without firm identification, is part of the evidence historians use to understand how Egyptian rulers were portrayed in stone.

Look closer

  • Why does the museum say this is only "probably" Hatshepsut rather than certainly her?
  • What features of the head might help experts guess who it represents?
  • What might be missing or damaged that makes identification difficult?

This sculpture is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Hatshepsut on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

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Secondary source

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