This "bust" of Amenemhat III is located in the British Museum. The Museum's website (
visit link) informs us:
"Granite head of Amenemhat III
From the Temple of Bastet, Bubastis, Egypt
12th Dynasty, around 1800 BC
From a colossal statue in a temple
The city of Bubastis was well known in Greek times; it is described by the Greek historian Herodotus (about 485-425 BC). The city was the centre of the cult of the cat goddess Bastet, and the residence of the kings of the Twenty-second Dynasty (about 945-715 BC), the so-called 'Libyan' rulers. However, the remains in the British Museum suggest that its history stretches back much farther, although there is a slight possibility that some monuments were moved to Bubastis by later rulers, as happened at Tanis.
This head comes from one of two large seated statues of Amenemhat III (1854-1808 BC) that flanked the entrance to the temple at Bubastis. Fragments of the lower part of this statue are also in the British Museum, while the head of the second statue is now in the Cairo Museum. Temples were often flanked by pairs of colossal statues, the best example being the so-called Colossi of Memnon at the entrance to the Temple of Amenhotep III (1390-1352 BC).
The names of the original owners of the statues have been replaced by others, the last of which was Osorkon II (about 874-850 BC) of the Twenty-second Dynasty."
Wikipedia (
visit link) adds:
"Amenemhat III, also spelled Amenemhet III was a pharaoh of the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. He ruled from c.1860 BC to c.1814 BC, the latest known date being found in a papyrus dated to Regnal Year 46, I Akhet 22 of his rule. He is regarded as the greatest monarch of the Middle Kingdom. He may have had a long coregency (of 20 years) with his father, Senusret III.
Towards the end of his reign he instituted a coregency with his successor Amenemhet IV, as recorded in a now damaged rock inscription at Konosso in Nubia, which equates Year 1 of Amenemhet IV to either Year 46, 47 or 48 of his reign. His daughter, Sobekneferu, later succeeded Amenemhat IV, as the last ruler of the 12th Dynasty. Amenemhat III's throne name, Nimaatre, means "Belonging to the Justice of Re."
He built his first pyramid at Dahshur (the so-called "Black Pyramid") but there were construction problems and this was abandoned.Around Year 15 of his reign the king decided to build a new pyramid at Hawara The pyramid at Dahshur was used as burial ground for several royal women."