Netherlands to return ancient Egyptian sculpture

The Netherlands will return a 3,500-year-old stone head sculpture to Egypt, Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schoof told President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Sunday during his visit to Cairo.

The sculpture, dating from 1479 to 1425 BC, depicts a high-ranking official from the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III, according to Dutch public broadcaster NOS.

It is believed to have been stolen and exported from Egypt, most likely during the unrest of the 2011 Arab Spring, before reappearing on the international art market.

"The historic cultural artefact was confiscated at a Dutch art fair in Maastricht in 2022," Schoof said, after authorities were tipped off anonymously about its illicit origin.

The piece resurfaced at the Tefaf art fair, where the dealer gave up ownership upon learning it had been stolen.

An investigation conducted by Dutch police and the cultural heritage inspectorate later confirmed that the sculpture had been plundered and unlawfully removed from Egypt. Officials said that the dealer cooperated fully and voluntarily surrendered the artefact after the inquiry.

The Dutch government announced that it expects to hand over the sculpture to the Egyptian ambassador in the Netherlands by the end of this year, though a precise date has not yet been set.

The announcement comes shortly after Egypt inaugurated the Grand Egyptian Museum beside the Giza pyramids, marking one of the country’s most significant cultural milestones in decades.

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