How Forged Papers Led to the Return of a 3,500-Year-Old Egyptian Sculpture

When a 3,500-year-old Egyptian stone head appeared at a Dutch art fair in 2022, it seemed like a remarkable relic of the ancient world. But questions about its ownership history soon told a different story, one that ended with the sculpture’s return to Egypt after investigators concluded it had been looted.

On February 6, 2026, Dutch Minister of Education, Culture and Science, Gouke Moes, handed the stone head to the Egyptian ambassador during a ceremony at the Egyptian Embassy in The Hague. The transfer came after a multi-year investigation by Dutch police, which found that the ownership papers for the sculpture had been forged. Authorities determined that the object had been removed from Egypt during or shortly after the Arab Spring. Egypt formally asked for its return under an international agreement known as the 1970 UNESCO Convention, which both countries have signed.

“That this object was removed through looting is deeply regrettable. This stone head does not belong here, and certainly not on the art market. It belongs in Egypt,” Moes said in a press release.

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Ancient Egyptian Block Statue From Thutmose III’s Reign

The stone head shows a senior official who lived during the reign of Pharaoh Thutmose III, who ruled from 1479 B.C.E. to 1425 B.C.E. It was carved from granodiorite, a hard, dark stone often used for important statues.

The head once belonged to a larger sculpture known as a block statue. In this style, a seated figure is wrapped in a cloak that forms a simple, compact shape. These statues were placed in temples and graves to honor powerful non-royal figures such as priests, military leaders, and government officials.

At some point before it appeared on the art market, the head was broken off the statue and separated from its original location in the Luxor region.

Forged Ownership Papers Spark Investigation

The sculpture’s path changed in 2022, when it was shown by the dealer Sycomore Ancient Art at a major art fair in the Netherlands. During the fair, concerns arose about the history of ownership. The dealer consulted an expert from the British Museum and then contacted the police.

Dutch police began reviewing the paperwork tied to the sculpture. While the documents suggested it had been in Europe for decades, investigators realized that the ownership papers from earlier sellers were fake.

Spanish police also looked into one of those earlier sellers. Throughout the process, Sycomore Ancient Art worked with authorities and gave up the sculpture once the problems with the paperwork became clear. The art fair organizers also cooperated, along with specialists from the Dutch Information and Heritage Inspectorate, the British Museum, and the National Museum of Antiquities in Leiden. Together, they confirmed the sculpture was authentic and traced it back to Egypt.

UNESCO Convention Guides Sculpture’s Return

Egyptian officials confirmed that the stone head is protected under Egypt’s heritage laws and is considered part of the country’s cultural heritage. After reviewing the investigation, Egypt formally requested the return of the sculpture under the 1970 UNESCO Convention, an international agreement intended to prevent the illicit trade in cultural objects.

The case shows how closely reviewing an artifact’s ownership history can change its future. A sculpture carved more than 3,000 years ago — and removed from its original setting in recent decades — is now on its way back to the country where it was first made.

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