Tutankhamun bust sold at auction for $5.97m

[Still Waters]

A brown quartzite head of young king Tutankhamun has sold at auction in London for more than £4.7m despite Egyptian demands for its return.

The more than 3,000-year-old sculpture, displayed at Christie’s London auction house, shows the boy king taking the form of the ancient Egyptian god Amen.

An unnamed buyer bought the head for £4,746,250 ($5.97m), including commission and in line with the estimated price before the sale, Christie’s said.

Outside, around 20 protesters stood silently and held placards that said “Egyptian history is not for sale”.

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/jul/05/bust-of-tutankhamun-sold-at-auction-for-47m-despite-egypt-protests

[Unusual Tournament]

Something really wrong about selling such historical art work privately. These pieces should go back to Egypt.  

[Herr Falukorv]

In my next life I aim to be a Tomb raider... It seems to be very profitable

 

[Seti42]

20 minutes ago, Herr Falukorv said:

In my next life I aim to be a Tomb raider... It seems to be very profitable

 

Not anymore. The ideal time for tomb-raiding for profit was about 100-200 years ago. It'd have been a good choice for a past life, lol.

[+Hammerclaw]

Museums won't be emptying their collections and repatriating artifacts, en masse, anytime soon. Private collections, unless legally compelled, never.

[Grim Reaper 6]

16 hours ago, Still Waters said:

A brown quartzite head of young king Tutankhamun has sold at auction in London for more than £4.7m despite Egyptian demands for its return.

The more than 3,000-year-old sculpture, displayed at Christie’s London auction house, shows the boy king taking the form of the ancient Egyptian god Amen.

An unnamed buyer bought the head for £4,746,250 ($5.97m), including commission and in line with the estimated price before the sale, Christie’s said.

Outside, around 20 protesters stood silently and held placards that said “Egyptian history is not for sale”.

https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/jul/05/bust-of-tutankhamun-sold-at-auction-for-47m-despite-egypt-protests

I also think it's wrong to sell items on the open market without proof of how they have been obtained. I can't blame the Egyptians for being angery, their heritage was virtually plundered over the last 200 years, and it is still going on today.

[hetrodoxly]

14 hours ago, Manwon Lender said:

I also think it's wrong to sell items on the open market without proof of how they have been obtained. I can't blame the Egyptians for being angery, their heritage was virtually plundered over the last 200 years, and it is still going on today.

Are you sure you can't blame the Egyptians.

 

[An0n1m0us]

Hawass is the biggest hypocrite. For years he's been one of the main reasons many Egyptologists could not gain access to study Egypt's ruins. He's taken bribes from unknown entities for this reason. 

[Still Waters]

Latest:

Quote

Egypt to sue Christie's to retrieve £4.7m Tutankhamun bust

Egypt says it will instruct a law firm in the UK to file a civil suit over the sale last week of a Tutankhamun bust.

The sculpture of the pharaoh was bought for £4.7m ($6m) at Christie's auction house in London, despite Egypt warning it was probably stolen in the 1970s.

Antiquities Minister Khaled al-Enany told the BBC that he would try to repatriate the artefact.

Christie's said all necessary checks were made over the bust's provenance, and that its sale was legal and valid.

It stated that Germany's Prince Wilhelm von Thurn und Taxis reputedly had it in his collection by the 1960s, and that it was acquired by an Austrian dealer in 1973-4.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-48922555