Triad of Hathor, Mykerinos and Thebes

Several group statues, either complete or in fragments, were found in the Valley Temple of the funerary complex of Mykerinos at Giza during the excavations of 1908 to 1910.
They represent the king Mykerinos, in the middle, flanked by the goddess Hathor to his right, and a god or goddess symbolising a province to his left.

Hathor, Mykerinos and the provincial god of Thebes.

Hathor, Mykerinos and the provincial god of Thebes.
Source: Tiradritti, Egyptian Treasures, p. 70.

Mykerinos is slightly taller than Hathor and usually a lot taller than the provincial god or goddess next to him. He wears the White Crown, symbolising Upper Egypt, a false beard and a tri-partite skirt. His facial features are typical for representations of him: the eyes are clearly marked, the cheekbones are high and pronounced and the mouth and nose are firm.

Conform to tradition, Mykerinos is shown striding, with his left foot forward.

Hathor is represented as a woman crowned with the cow's horns and solar disk that are typical of her. She wears a tight fitting dress, that can only be discerned by the hem just above her feet. Her face is rounder and more feminine than Mykerinos'. She has her left foot slightly forward, but not as much as Mykerinos.

The provincial god wears a headdress that identifies the province that he represents: Thebes.

It was believed for a long time that there must have been as many group statues as there were provinces in Egypt: 42. But recently, it is assumed that there were only 8 statues, one for each province with a major cult for Hathor.


© Jacques Kinnaer 1997 - 2023