Netherlands to return 3,500-year-old sculpture stolen from Egypt

Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof announced Sunday that the Netherlands will return a 3,500-year-old stone sculpture to Egypt after authorities determined it was looted during the 2011 Arab Spring upheaval and illegally exported from the countrycbsnews.
The sculpture, depicting a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC), was discovered at the TEFAF Maastricht art fair in 2022 after Dutch authorities received an anonymous tip about its illicit originscbsnews.
The artifact was being offered for sale by a Swiss gallery for €190,000 ($220,000) when it was confiscated, and the dealer voluntarily surrendered the piece after Dutch police and cultural heritage inspectors confirmed it had been plundered and unlawfully removed from Egyptartnet.
Schoof made the announcement during his visit to the grand opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, a $1.2 billion facility housing over 100,000 artifacts spanning 7,000 years of ancient Egyptian civilization, including the complete contents of King Tutankhamun’s tombcbsnews.
The sculpture is expected to be handed over to the Egyptian ambassador in the Netherlands by the end of this year, marking the first artifact returned to Egypt since the museum’s openingcbsnews.

Netherlands Returns 3,500-Year-Old Stolen Egyptian Sculpture

The Netherlands announced it will return a 3,500-year-old stone sculpture to Egypt after determining the ancient artifact was looted during the country’s 2011 Arab Spring upheaval. Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof made the commitment Sunday during the grand opening of Egypt’s new $1.2 billion Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, marking the first artifact returned to Egypt since the facility’s long-awaited inauguration.cbsnews

The sculpture, depicting a high-ranking official from the dynasty of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479-1425 BC), was discovered at the prestigious TEFAF Maastricht art fair in 2022 following an anonymous tip about its illicit origins. Dutch authorities confirmed the piece had been “stolen and illegally exported from Egypt” and was likely plundered during the political turmoil of 2011 or 2012.dutchnews

Investigation and Recovery

The artifact surfaced at Europe’s distinguished art fair where it was being offered for sale by a Swiss gallery for €190,000 ($220,000). After receiving the anonymous tip-off, Dutch police and the cultural heritage inspectorate launched an investigation that confirmed the sculpture’s illegal provenance. The dealer voluntarily surrendered the piece once authorities presented evidence of its stolen status.artnet

“The historic cultural artifact was confiscated at a Dutch art fair in Maastricht in 2022,” Schoof explained, after someone anonymously alerted authorities about its questionable origin. Christopher A. Marinello, an attorney focused on recovering lost art, noted it was fortunate the sculpture appeared at TEFAF Maastricht, known for its adherence to strict ethical codes.yahoo

Grand Museum Opening Provides Backdrop

Schoof’s announcement came during his meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi at the spectacular opening ceremony of the Grand Egyptian Museum, which features more than 100,000 artifacts spanning 7,000 years of ancient Egyptian civilization. The museum houses the complete contents of King Tutankhamun’s tomb, including his famous gold funerary mask, in an 80,000-square-foot gallery dedicated to the boy pharaoh.cbsnews

“President Sisi was extremely pleased,” Schoof said, calling the restitution “a symbolic gesture” and emphasizing that the Netherlands would receive nothing in return. “He underlined how important it is to recover such artifacts and to act against the illegal trade.”dutchnews

The Dutch government expects to hand over the sculpture to the Egyptian ambassador in the Netherlands by year’s end, though no specific date has been set. Egypt has not yet decided where the artifact will be displayed, though the Grand Egyptian Museum remains a possibility.myjoyonline