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A Small Egyptian Artifact 3,400 Years Old, Possibly Removed From The Tomb Of Tutankhamun, Was Sold In London For Over US$ 450,000. The Piece, Carved From Ivory And Wood, Sparked Controversy Among Experts Who Question Its Origin And Advocate For Its Return To Egypt.
An Artifact Carved About 3,400 Years Ago, Possibly Illegally Removed From The Tomb Of The Egyptian Pharaoh Tutankhamun, Was Sold For Over US$ 450,000 At An Auction In London. The Sale Rekindled Discussions Among Experts About The Provenance Of The Piece And The Responsibility Of The Institutions Involved.
The Object, Known As The Guennol Grasshopper, Measures Only 3.5 Inches. It Was Carved From Wood And Ivory And Features Eyes Inlaid With Blue And Black.
Its Upper Wings, With A Checked Pattern, Open To Reveal An Internal Cavity That Probably Held Kohl Or Perfume.
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These Items Were Common Among Members Of The Egyptian Elite During The New Kingdom Period.
Suspicions Of Irregular Origin
Most Importantly, Some Scholars Believe That The Artifact May Have Been Looted. The Theory Is That Howard Carter, The Archaeologist Who Discovered The Tomb Of Tutankhamun In 1922, Took The Object Without Authorization.
The Hypothesis Is Not New But Has Resurfaced With The Approaching Auction.
Documents Suggest That Maurice Nahman, A Notable Art Dealer From Egypt, Purchased The Grasshopper Directly From Carter.
Later, In 1936, Nahman Sold It To Joseph Brummer, An Antiquities Dealer Based In New York. Brummer Cataloged The Artifact As “Supposedly From The Tomb Of King Tutankhamun,” According To Records Now Archived At The Metropolitan Museum Of Art.
From Private Collection To International Auction
In 1948, Alastair Bradley Martin, Heir To A Fortune In The Steel Industry, Acquired The Artifact For Nearly US$ 10,000.
Over The Years, The Piece Became Known As Part Of The Guennol Collection, Named After The Welsh Word “gwennol,” Meaning “Swallow”.
For Decades, The Grasshopper Was Displayed In Prestigious Institutions. The Brooklyn Museum Exhibited It Several Times Between 1948 And 2002.
In 1969, The Metropolitan Museum Also Put It On Display. Later, The Piece Passed Through The Merrin Gallery And Came Into The Hands Of The Heirs Of Sheikh Saud Al-Thani From Qatar For US$ 1.2 Million.
Despite This, The Doubt About Its Origin Has Never Been Fully Resolved.
Rumors About The Looting By Carter Grew After His Death In 1939, When Artifacts Related To Tutankhamun Were Found Among His Belongings.
In Recent Years, New Letters And Archaeological Findings Increased Suspicion.
Diverging Positions On Provenance
According To Apollo Art Auctions, The Auction House Responsible For The Sale, The Link Between The Grasshopper And The Tomb Of Tutankhamun Remains A Theory. “There Are No Photographs Of This Item Being Excavated From The Tomb, And Carter Never Listed It In His Inventory,” The House Stated In A Statement To Apollo Magazine.
On The Other Hand, Egyptologist Christian Loeben At The August Kestner Museum In Germany Is “Quite Convinced” Of The Connection.
According To Him, The Style Of The Piece Is “Exactly From The Same Period,” And Its Good Condition Suggests It Was Stored In A Sealed Chamber. For Loeben, The Artifact Should Be Returned To Egypt.
Legal Justifications And Ethical Criticisms
Even Amid The Controversy, The Auction Took Place On July 27. Apollo Art Auctions Justified That, According To British Law, There Is No Legal Impediment To The Sale.
“Any Request For Restitution Would Require Proof Of Illicit Origin, Illegal Export, And Timely Action—None Of Which Has Been Presented In Over 80 Years,” The House Explained.
The Company Argues That The Historical Importance Of The Piece Justifies Its Commercialization. “We Hope It Becomes Part Of A Public Collection Where It Can Be Responsibly Cared For And Accessible To Everyone,” They Stated In A Note Sent To Artnet.
However, Not Everyone Agrees With This Stance. Erin Thompson, A Specialist In Art Crimes At The City University Of New York, Highlighted The Standing Of The Auction House.
For Her, The Fact That Major Companies Like Sotheby’s And Christie’s Avoid Such Items Reinforces The Problematic Nature Of The Sale. “They Would Not Touch An Antiquity So Closely Associated With A Known Thief,” She Stated To The New York Times.
Therefore, The Case Raises Questions About Ethics, Transparency, And The Responsibility Of Cultural Institutions In The Trade Of Historical Artifacts.
Even With The Legality Of The Sale, The Shadow Of Doubt About The True Origin Of The Grasshopper Remains.
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