Return of archaeological cultural property to Egypt
On Friday August 23, 2024 three archaeological objects were officially returned to Egypt. His Excellency Hatem Elsayed Mohamed Kamaleldin, the Egyptian ambassador to the Netherlands, received the cultural objects from Laurens Schouten, chief inspector cultural heritage at the Information and Heritage Inspectorate, and Maurice Stevens, portfolio manager for art and antiques-related crime at the National Police. Dewi van de Weerd, ambassador for international cultural cooperation Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was present.
Unlawfully exported from Egypt
The three archaeological objects, which had been unlawfully exported from Egypt, were returned thanks to the joint efforts of the Dutch police, the Dutch Public Prosecution Service, the Information and Heritage Inspectorate, the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs and various Egyptian and Dutch experts. All items were willingly transferred by their owners for return. The return of these objects symbolises the close cooperation between the Dutch and Egyptian authorities on protecting and preserving cultural heritage.
Background to the objects' return
The objects were recovered during different investigations. Two objects – a shabti for Ipethemetes from Thebes, believed to date from c. 664-525 BC (26th dynasty), and a painting of the goddess Isis from c. 30 BC – 642 AD (Roman period) – were unlawfully exported from Egypt after 2014. Thanks to investigations by the Dutch police, these objects were discovered in the ownership of a Dutch art dealer. Following discussions, they were willingly transferred to the Dutch government and have now been returned to Egypt by the Inspectorate, in accordance with the 1970 UNESCO Convention on the Means of Prohibiting and Preventing the Illicit Import, Export and Transfer of Ownership of Cultural Property. A third object, a mummified head dating from approximately 170-45 BC, had been in a collection in the Netherlands for many years. No photograph available as it concerns human remains.Following contact with the police the heir of the collector transferred the object and agreed to its return.
Cultural heritage in Egypt
These archaeological objects are important to Egyptian cultural heritage. Egypt, one of the oldest civilisations in the world, has a rich history dating back to around 3300 BC. The country has a wealth of cultural heritage, including stelae, papyruses with magical texts, painted sarcophagi, jewellery and sculptures. The extraordinary funerary complexes with pyramids at Memphis and Saqqara are especially well known. The country's cultural riches put it at risk of illegal excavations, theft and plundering. International cooperation is the only way to combat these threats and ensure that unlawfully exported objects are returned to their country of origin. In the case of two of the objects returned, the provenance documentation contained strong indications that they had been unlawfully exported.
The importance of protecting cultural heritage
Protecting cultural heritage is an essential part of safeguarding a country's history and identity. Like the Netherlands, Egypt is party to the 1970 UNESCO Convention and has a wealth of national legislation in place to protect its own cultural heritage. The 1970 Convention requires its states parties to take preventive measures regarding illegal exports, cooperate internationally to fight illegal trade and encourage return from one state to another.
In the Netherlands, the customs authorities, the Information and Heritage Inspectorate and the police work closely to achieve this objective. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is involved in the return process from a diplomatic and international cooperation perspective. Museums and universities also contribute their expertise by determining the authenticity of objects, as well as their cultural and historical significance. The return of these objects serves to strengthen our joint efforts to protect national heritage and to respect international conventions, thus ensuring that heritage is available to future generations.