July 5, 2019

Anna Murray 

Tutankhamun bust was auctioned at Christie's for £4.7m ($6m) in the UK on July 4, but Egypt claimed that it had been stolen from a temple during the 1970s. 

Tutankhamun died more than 3,000 years ago at the age of 19, and his tomb along with lots of treasures was found in 1922 by British archeologist Howard Carter. Passing several hands since the 1960s, the brown quartzite head of this Egyptian "boy king" had been under the ownership of a private collection in Germany ever since 1985. Therefore, Christie’s said that it had been exhibited publicly without any concern from Egypt.

Christie's published a chronology describing how Tutankhamun bust changed hands over the past 50 years. On the other hand, Egyptian officials asked the UN cultural body UNESCO and the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office to intervene, insisting that the relic be returned to Egypt.

Photo:Webshot.