Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Head of a Statue of Amenemhat III Wearing the White Crown
Middle Kingdom
Not on view
This object is not part of The Met collection. It was in the Museum for a special exhibition and has been returned to the lender.
A masterpiece of ancient Egyptian sculpture, this head depicts Amenemhat III so arrestingly that the viewer is left with the indelible impression that it represents the king’s actual appearance. Nothing is known, however, of this ruler’s true physiognomy. The sculptor has so masterfully suggested skin and soft flesh in the velvety texture of the stone that any sense of hardness dissolves. It contrasts with the firm, polished surface of the white crown, a symbol of Upper Egypt.
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