Because of their strength, ferocity, imposing mane, and awesome
roar, lions were associated with kingship since prehistoric
times. As divine guardians against evil, they also symbolized in
cosmic myths the place on the horizon where the sun was reborn
every day. With the body of a lion and the head of a human, the
sphinx symbolically combined the power of the lion with the
image of the reigning king. In this magnificent example, the
face belongs to Senwosret III of Dynasty 12 whose features are
very distinctive (see 26.7.1394). He wears a pleated linen
headcloth, called a nemes headdress, which is symbolic of
kingship. The nemes is surmounted by a cobra, which represents
the goddess Udjo, one of the protectors of the king. The cobra's
hood and head were either carved separately or they were
repaired in antiquity, for there is an ancient dowel hole
drilled into the place where the cobra's upright body would be.
While the Egyptians viewed the standing sphinx as a conqueror,
the crouching sphinx was a guardian o