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Primary sourceSculpture

Statue of Hatshepsut Wearing the Khat Headdress

A black granite statue of Hatshepsut shown with a female body and clothing, one of only two statues from her temple depicting her this way.

This rare statue shows Hatshepsut with a female body, offering evidence of how her gender was depicted alongside her kingship.

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Photograph of a black granite seated statue of a figure wearing a khat headdress, with a female body and draped garment, on a rectangular throne-like base with carved inscriptions on the side. Headless in part: the head top is broken away.
Statue of Hatshepsut wearing the khat headdress, granite. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Deir el-Bahari, Thebes.

About this source

What it is

This black granite statue shows Hatshepsut wearing the khat headdress, but with a female body and draped feminine clothing. It was found at her funerary temple at Deir el-Bahari in Thebes and is now held at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Inscriptions on the statue suggest it was dedicated to the god Amun and the temple of Karnak.

Why it matters

Most statues of Hatshepsut show her with the body and dress of a male king, following pharaonic tradition. This statue is one of only two from her temple that depict her with a female form, giving historians rare evidence of how her gender and kingship were both represented in official art.

Look closer

  • Why might most statues of Hatshepsut show her as male, while this one shows her as female?
  • What has happened to the top of the statue's head, and why might that be?
  • What do the inscriptions suggest about the statue's original purpose?

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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View of the Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut at Deir el-Bahari, a tiered stone building with long colonnades and ramps set against towering tan limestone cliffs under a clear blue sky. Small figures and a low shelter are visible in the foreground.Artifact

Primary source

Mortuary Temple of Hatshepsut

Senenmut and/or Hapuseneb (attributed) · c. 1479–1458 BCE

Photograph of a carved sandstone relief panel at Karnak. Columns of hieroglyphs divide the panel. On the left, a figure in a tall crown strides with one arm raised. On the right, a standing figure in a kilt faces left. Blue sky and a palm tree appear at the edge.Photograph

Secondary source

Hatshepsut Dancing Before Min, Karnak Relief

Carole Reeves · 1989

Painted relief on a temple wall showing men carrying a tree in a basket with a pole, between stylized incense trees and a palm, in orange, red and cream colors, with hieroglyphs above and a wave-pattern band below.Sculpture

Primary source

Punt Expedition Reliefs

Royal workshops of Hatshepsut · c. 1470 BCE

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.Sculpture

Primary source

Sculpture Head Probably of Hatshepsut

Photograph of a seated limestone statue of a figure wearing a royal headcloth with a pleated nemes and a false beard-less face, hands resting on the lap, seated on a block with hieroglyphic inscriptions on its side.Sculpture

Primary source

Seated Statue of Hatshepsut

c. 1466 BCE

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