Hatshepsut : from Queen to Pharaoh /

Modern notions of women in ancient Egypt usually begin with Shakespeare's Cleopatra and end with the iconic bust of Nefertiti (or Verdi's fictional Aida). Of far greater importance was the real-life Hatshepsut, who ruled Egypt for 21 years--first as regent for her nephew Thutmose III, then as co-ruler with him in her own name as pharaoh--before being systematically effaced from the historical record. Or so was the intention of her destroyers, for reasons still debated by scholars. This richly illustrated catalog records a major international exhibition exploring this remarkable woman and her times. Two hundred objects illustrate Egypt in the 15th century BCE, its Near Eastern setting, royal building activities, and contemporary decorative arts. Most striking are images of Hatshepsut and her intimate circle, which range from monumental pharaonic statues to painted reliefs. Their destruction later in the 18th dynasty and rediscovery in the mid-19th century CE have inescapably shaped contemporary understanding of the ancient world. A collection of brief, accessible essays that present current scholarship in this period of Egypt's golden age enhances this wide-ranging selection of art and artifacts. ^BSumming Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries. S. Langdon University of Missouri--Columbia

Apart from the cunning and beautiful Cleopatra, little is known about Egypt's women rulers. The editors of this glorious exhibition catalogue seek to illuminate the life of one of these women. Drawing on archeological discoveries of the remains of her rule, Roehrig, a curator at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and her coauthors offer a magnificent portrait of this remarkable woman and all aspects of Eyptian life in the 18th Dynasty, from religion and politics to art and jewelry. In 1473 B.C., Hatshepsut ascended the throne as co-regent with her husband, Thutmose II. After his death, she became ruler of Egypt, taking the name "King of Upper and Lower Egypt." She consolidated the country culturally and led military campaigns against Nubia and Kush. Hatshepsut's innovative construction projects included processional roads and 100-foot-high obelisks. Abandoning the traditional closed-off temple structure, her temple in Deir el-Bahri in Thebes was opened to the light with colonnades. Soon after her death, Hatshepsut's successor erased almost every trace of her reign, but this beautiful book draws on the remains with 386 illustrations-226 of them in color-to offer a splendid testimony to the life of this oft-forgotten Egyptian ruler. (Jan.) (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

In the mid-15th century BCE, an extraordinary Egyptian became the most powerful woman in the world. Hatshepsut, daughter of King Thutmose I, and wife and half-sister of King Thutmose II, became upon her husband's death, regent for her stepson-nephew King Thutmose III. However, this queen gradually acquired kingly status and power for herself, reigning with her coregent for nearly 20 years. Only twice before in Egypt's long history had a woman become pharaoh. This handsomely produced and scholarly catalog accompanies a landmark 2005-06 traveling exhibition (San Francisco, New York, and Fort Worth) that explores her reign in the context of the history, material culture, monumental art, and architecture of the late 17th and early 18th Dynasties. The work is divided into six main sections: "Setting the Scene," "Hatshepsut and Her Court," "Hatshepsut's Building Projects," "Decorative Arts," "The Proscription," and "The Aftermath." The catalog entries for the objects, assembled from 25 museums around the world and including scarabs, jewelry, pottery, furniture, reliefs, and statuary-all richly illustrated-give dimensions, museum accession number, provenance, and bibliography. These entries, along with topical essays, were written by 24 eminent Egyptologists and curators, including the editors. The controversial royal steward Senenmut and the defacing or demolition of Hatshepsut's monuments after her death are examined. Although of interest to scholars, this catalog is readily accessible to general readers and will enthrall library patrons with an interest in ancient Egypt. It complements Joyce Tyldesley's fine biography Hatchepsut: The Female Pharaoh. Highly recommended for all public and academic libraries.-Edward K. Werner, St. Lucie Cty. Lib. Syst., Ft. Pierce, FL (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.