Last week the archaeologist and former Secretary General of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities Dr Zahi Hawass launched a new petition urging Germany to repatriate the life-sized painted bust of Queen Nefertiti.

This exceptional and most beautiful of all Egyptian sculptures is the leading attraction in Berlin’s Ägyptisches Museum und Papyrussammlung. It is also one of three objects that Dr Hawass believes must be returned to Egypt as each represents unparalleled significance to Egyptian history. His other targets are the Rosetta Stone in the British Museum, London and the Dendera Zodiac in the Louvre, Paris.

It is Hawass’s claim that all three objects were taken out of Egypt illegally. To demonstrate the strength of public opinion in favour of repatriation, he has set out to secure one million signatures via an online petition (hawasszahi.com). After then he hopes the Egyptian state will approach the German, British and French governments to recover all three objects. The petition is not currently supported by Egypt’s government.

“I ask for you to sign this and share it with everyone you know. I would like to get one million signatures so we can formally petition for the return of these artifacts. We need your help.”

Zahi Hawass

What is the evidence this iconic limestone bust of Nefertiti, wife of the 18th dynasty Pharaoh Akhenaten, was removed from Egypt illegally? And what chance will he succeed in returning the bust to Egypt? 

The sculpture was discovered by a German team of archaeologists, led by Ludwig Borchardt, while excavating at Tell el-Amarna in 1912/13. Tell el-Amarna in Upper Egypt was the location of the city built by the so-called ‘heretic’ king Akhenaten in the 14th century BC. Along with another unfinished quartzite bust and other sculptural fragments, the sculpture was found abandoned in the ruins of the workshop of Tuthmose, the Chief Sculptor of Akhenaten.

It's exceptional qualities and identity were apparent immediately. Understandably, the excavators would have been anxious to secure this prize discovery in their share of the finds. But securing it for a German collection was not guaranteed. The Egyptian state at that time retained a veto over all objects they felt were too important to leave the country.

Nevertheless, it would be another ten years and the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb in 1922 before Egyptian authorities became so concerned about the loss of their ancient heritage they began removing this right given to foreign excavators to take home major discoveries.

So, the question whether the removal of the Nefertiti bust to Germany in 1913 was legal or not rests on the credibility of the case that Borchardt made to ensure the bust was granted to Germany's share of expedition finds. Hawass is certain its removal was illegal.

“The Bust of Nefertiti was brazenly stolen from Egypt by the Germans in 1913 when it was concealed and smuggled out of the country despite laws that declared it illegal to remove ‘exceptional’ archaeological finds from Egypt,” insists Hawass writing on his website.

It’s quite possible that Borchardt did misrepresent the importance of the Nefertiti bust in order to secure its removal to Germany. Allegedly, Gustave Lefebvre who was Egypt’s Inspector of Antiquities at the time with responsibility for allocating excavation finds, was shown only a substandard photo image of the sculpture, which was described to him as a gypsum bust. Had he inspected the sculpture in person, it’s hard to believe he would have agreed to gift away such an exceptional and significant work of Egyptian art.

All this gives credence to Hawass’s claim its removal was illegal. But so far, every attempt made by Egyptian authorities since 1924 to repatriate the bust from Germany has failed, including an appeal made to UNESCO to arbitrate Egypt’s case in 2005.

Dr Hawass is a tireless campaigner for restitution and his petition has already attracted over 223,000 signatures. But without fresh evidence that Borchardt deliberately set out to deceive the Egyptian authorities, it’s hard to see the Staatliche Museen conceding Egypt’s ownership, especially given the importance of Nefertiti’s bust as a cultural symbol of the city of Berlin. But that won’t stop Dr Hawass from continuing his relentless campaign for returning the bust.

Photo: Ludwig Borchardt and the discovery of the bust of Nefertiti

Courtesy of Staatliche Museen zu Berlin