ticketsMember | Make a donation

Head of King Amenemhat III

Middle Kingdom
ca. 1859–1813 B.C.
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 111
Although somewhat battered, this is an impressive image of a pharaoh wearing the double crown of Upper and Lower Egypt. The head is rounder than those depicting Senwosret III; the eyes are less bulbous, and the lids less fleshy. We see, in fact, a portrait of Senwosret's successor Amenemhat III. A piece closely related in style was found at Kom el-Hisn in the western Nile Delta. Like that sculpture the Museum's head has a distinctly youthful character, which is apparent in spite of the deep furrows at the sides of the king's nose. Egyptian artists often emphasized youthfulness in the face of an already mature pharaoh in images that commemorated the king's thirty-year jubilee (Heb Sed). The king was, in this image, most probably represented seated.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Head of King Amenemhat III
  • Period: Middle Kingdom
  • Dynasty: Dynasty 12
  • Reign: reign of Amenemhat III
  • Date: ca. 1859–1813 B.C.
  • Geography: From Egypt
  • Medium: Granodiorite
  • Dimensions: H. 40.6 × W. 18.4 × D. 25.4 cm, 20.9 kg (16 × 7 1/4 × 10 in., 46 lb.)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Dr. and Mrs. Thomas H. Foulds, 1924
  • Object Number: 24.7.1
  • Curatorial Department: Egyptian Art

More Artwork

More Artwork
A slider containing 5 items.
Press the down key to skip to the last item.
Head of the god Amun, Granodiorite
Head of the god Amun
ca. 1336–1327 B.C.
Haremhab as a Scribe of the King, Granodiorite
Haremhab as a Scribe of the King
ca. 1336–1323 B.C.
Male god, Granodiorite
Male god
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
Statue of the Goddess Sakhmet, Granodiorite
Statue of the Goddess Sakhmet
ca. 1390–1352 B.C.
Head of Amenhotep II, Granodiorite
Head of Amenhotep II
ca. 1427–1400 B.C.

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please complete and submit this form. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Head of King Amenemhat III - Middle Kingdom - The Metropolitan Museum of Art