Head of King Amenemhat III in Dark Green Greywacke
Middle Kingdom, 12th Dynasty, reign of Amenemhat III, c. 1860–1814 B.C.
Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek, Copenhagen (ÆIN 924)

This finely carved head of King Amenemhat III is made of greywacke, a hard and durable stone highly valued for elite sculpture.

Although it appears nearly black to the eye, the stone is in fact a very dark green with a smooth, even texture ideal for precise detailing.

The material was sourced from the quarries of Wadi Hammamat in Egypt’s Eastern Desert, a region renowned in antiquity for its prized hard stones. Located about 80 kilometers east of ancient Coptos (modern Qift), Wadi Hammamat connected the Nile Valley with trade routes leading to the Red Sea.