By Charlotte Van Campenhout and Milan Berckmans
THE HAGUE, Feb 6 (Reuters) – The Netherlands on Thursday returned a 3,500-year-old sculpture to Egypt after the looted artefact resurfaced at a Dutch art fair in 2022.
An investigation by Dutch police and cultural heritage inspectorate confirmed in 2025 the sculpture had been plundered and unlawfully removed from Egypt, most likely during the Arab Spring unrest of 2011, before appearing on the international art market.
Experts believe the artefact, a stone head that was originally part of a block statue, originated from Luxor in southern Egypt. It depicts a senior official from the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479–1425 BC).
It was confiscated in 2022 at an art fair in the Dutch city of Maastricht. Art dealer Sycomore Ancient Art, which had acquired the piece but had doubts about its provenance, voluntarily surrendered it following the inquiry.
“Our policy is to return what doesn’t belong to us and to return it always to the rightful cultural group or country”, Dutch Culture Minister Gouke Moes said in handing over the artefact to the Egyptian ambassador.
Egyptian Ambassador Emad Hanna said his country tracks artefacts that appear in exhibitions or auctions.
“It means a lot to us when it comes to tourism and economy, because at the end of the day, when tourists come to Egypt to see these things, it definitely makes a difference”, Hanna said.
Egypt’s plans to display the sculpture were not yet clear.
(Reporting by Charlotte Van Campenhout, Milan Berckmans, A. Lennon; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
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