The iconography of co-rule at Deir el-Bahari: Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III in the Statue Room of the Main Sanctuary of Amun

Abstract

Hatshepsut and Tuthmosis III were represented as seemingly equal kings on the side walls of the Second Room of the Main Sanctuary of Amun in the Temple of Hatshepsut in Deir el-Bahari. Iconographic analysis reveals the relationship between the two rulers, demonstrating the different and discreet ways in which Hatshepsut emphasized her dominant position and Tuthmosis’s secondary one during their co-rule. The quality of the representations is just as crucial as their number for understanding their relationship. Hatshepsut used among others the symbolism of the cardinal points, orientation of figures and the hierarchy of attributes to emphasize the difference in their positions. The four scenes in question are the most representative examples of these fixed rules in the Deir el-Bahari temple.