February 7 — The Netherlands has officially returned a 3,500-year-old Egyptian sculpture that had been illegally removed from the country and later surfaced at a Dutch art fair in 2022.
Authorities confirmed that the artifact was handed back on Thursday following an extensive investigation conducted by Dutch police alongside the country’s cultural heritage inspectorate. Their findings, finalized in 2025, determined that the sculpture had been looted and unlawfully taken from Egypt, most likely during the period of unrest associated with the Arab Spring in 2011, before eventually entering the international art market.
Specialists identified the artifact as a carved stone head that originally formed part of a larger block statue. It is believed to have come from Luxor in southern Egypt and represents a high-ranking official who served during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III, who ruled between 1479 and 1425 BC.
The piece was seized in 2022 at an art fair held in Maastricht, a city in the Netherlands. The gallery Sycomore Ancient Art had purchased the sculpture but became concerned about its ownership history. After the investigation raised questions regarding its origins, the dealer voluntarily handed over the artifact to authorities.
Dutch Culture Minister Gouke Moes emphasized the country’s commitment to returning cultural property to its rightful owners while formally transferring the sculpture to Egypt’s ambassador. He stated that the Netherlands maintains a policy of returning objects that do not belong to the country, ensuring they are restored to the appropriate nation or cultural community.
Egyptian Ambassador Emad Hanna said Egypt actively monitors artifacts that appear in international exhibitions and auctions in order to recover items that were illegally removed. He added that the return of such objects holds significant importance for Egypt, particularly in relation to tourism and the national economy, as authentic historical artifacts attract visitors from around the world.
Egyptian authorities have not yet announced when or where the recovered sculpture will be displayed.
