Head of a King

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

This head was originally understood as most likely an image of King Amenemhat I (ca. 1981–1952 B.C.), but is now dated to the first half of Dynasty 13 (ca. 1800–1750 B.C.). Like works of the early Middle Kingdom, the face is youthful and unlined, but lacks other characteristics of early Dynasty 12 royal sculpture. The sensual mouth brings to mind depictions of the later Dynasty 12 king Amenemhat III (ca. 1859–1813 B.C.), but the placid expression and style of the ears prevent an identification with this king or one of his immediate successors. Instead, it belongs to a sculptural school of early Dynasty 13, which presented kings as strong young heroes. For more on this object, see Curatorial Interpretation below.

Egyptian Art

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Met collection of ancient Egyptian art consists of approximately 30,000 objects of artistic, historical, and cultural importance, dating from about 300,000 BCE to the 4th century CE. A signifcant percentage of the collection is derived from the Museum's three decades of archaeological work in Egypt, initiated in 1906 in response to increasing interest in the culture of ancient Egypt.

Metropolitan Museum of Art