Hatshepsut Sphinx at The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York

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The reconstructed sections of this sphinx were cast from a virtually identical, yet more complete companion piece now in Cairo. The head of this sphinx stands out distinctly from Hatshepsut's large sphinxes where the human head wears the royal nemes-headcloth. Instead, the example was fashioned according to a type of sphinx conceived during the Middle Kingdom under the reign of Amenemhat III. In this sphinx, the only human element is the face surrounded by a lion's mane. Remains of pigment reveal that the face was painted yellow, the color used for women in Egyptian art. This object is part of "Scan The World". Scan the World is a non-profit initiative introduced by MyMiniFactory, through which we are creating a digital archive of fully 3D printable sculptures, artworks, and landmarks from across the globe available to access for free. Scan the World is an open source community effort; if you have interesting items around you and would like to contribute, email stw@myminifactory.com to find out how you can help.