The Netherlands returned a 3,500-year-old statue to Egypt on Thursday after it appeared at an art exhibition in the Netherlands in 2022. An investigation by the Dutch police and a heritage inspection body confirmed in 2025 that the stolen statue was illicitly exported from Egypt, likely in 2011, before appearing on the international art market. Experts believe the artifact, a stone head that was originally part of a full statue, originates from Luxor in southern Egypt. It depicts a high-ranking official from the reign of Thutmose III, which lasted from 1479 to 1425 BC. The artifact was seized in 2022 from an art exhibition in the Dutch city of Maastricht. "Sycamore Enchant Art," an art trading gallery that acquired the piece but had doubts about its origin, voluntarily handed it over after the investigation. Dutch Culture Minister Goki Mois said while handing over the artifact to the Egyptian ambassador: "Our policy is to return what is not ours, and we always return it to its original cultural collection or country of origin." Egyptian Ambassador to the Netherlands Emad Hanna stated that his country tracks antiquities that appear in exhibitions or auctions. He added: "This means a lot to us when it comes to tourism and the economy, because ultimately, when tourists come to Egypt to see these things, it certainly makes a difference." Egypt's plans for displaying the statue have not yet been clarified.
