Ancient artifact 'Nefertem' retrieved from Australia

CAIRO - 21 February 2019: The Egyptian Embassy in Canberra, Australia, received the fourth and final part of the ancient painting entitled "Szen Nefertum", which was illegally stolen from Egypt.

General Supervisor of the General Department of Antiquities Shaaban Abdel-Gawad affirmed that this part of the painting is the fourth and last part and that Egypt was able to recover three other parts from Switzerland in 2017.

Abdel Gawad noted that the fourth part was exhibited at the “Macquarie Museum” and was bought by the museum's management in 1995.

Martin Bomms, director of the museum, expressed his readiness to return the ancient painting to Egypt immediately after he learned that it was stolen and smuggled from Egypt illegally.

The ancient painting was handed over to the Egyptian Embassy in Canberra, following the extensive efforts exerted by the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Ministry of Foreign Affairs to prove Egypt's right to restore it.

Abdel Gawad explained that the four parts of the painting had been found by the mission of the University of Rome during excavations in the West Bank in Luxor between 1976 and 1988.

It was discovered missing during the inventory of the West Bank storage room of antiquities in 1995.

Abdel Gawad pointed out that the painting is scheduled to be fully restored after the arrival of the fourth piece in order to be reassembled and displayed.