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Sekhmet

Sekhmet

Culture: Egyptian

Date: c. 664 - 525 BC
Medium: bronze
Dimensions:
Overall: 18 x 5 x 9 1/2 in. (45.7 x 12.7 x 24.1 cm)
Credit Line:Museum Purchase
Object number: 1930.159.1
The lion goddess, who personifies the fierce, destructive heat of the sun, was also honored as goddess of war and battle. In her friendly form, she was sometimes identified with the cat goddess Bast. Sekhmet was the wife of the god Ptah, and together with their son, Nefertem, formed the Divine Memphis Triad. She was typically depicted as a lioness-headed woman, generally wearing the sun-disk on her head encircled by the divine cobra.
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