The Netherlands has returned a 3,500-year-old sculpture to Egypt after the looted artefact resurfaced at a Dutch art fair in 2022.
A 2025 investigation by Dutch police and the cultural heritage inspectorate confirmed that the sculpture had been illegally removed from Egypt, most likely during the Arab Spring unrest in 2011, before appearing on the international art market.
Experts say the artefact, a stone head originally part of a block statue, comes from Luxor in southern Egypt. It depicts a senior official from the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III (1479–1425 BC).
The sculpture was confiscated at an art fair in Maastricht in 2022. Sycomore Ancient Art, the dealer that had acquired the piece but had questioned 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 while handing over the artefact to the Egyptian ambassador.
Egyptian Ambassador Emad Hanna noted that the country actively tracks artefacts appearing in exhibitions or auctions.
“It means a lot to us when it comes to tourism and the economy, because when tourists come to Egypt to see these objects, it makes a real difference,” Hanna said.
Plans for displaying the sculpture in Egypt have not yet been announced.
