Egypt Asks Interpol to Track Down Tutankhamun Bust Sold in London

Despite protests from everyone from Egypt's Ministry of Antiquities to the British Archaeological Association, London auction house, Christie's, went through with the sale of a rare, 4,000 year-old bust of Tutankhamun on the weekend - but the story isn't over.

According to CNN Arabic, Egypt's National Committee for Antiquities Repatriation (NCAR) has upped the ante by asking international police agency, Interpol, to conduct an investigation and track the whereabouts of the 11-inch high piece, which was sold for just under $6 million.

"The committee expresses its deep discontent of the unprofessional behavior of the sale of Egyptian antiquities without providing the ownership documents and the evidences that prove its legal export from Egypt," read a statement from NCAR on what is being touted as one of the most controversial auctions in recent history.

The Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Antiquities had also reached out to UNESCO for assistance in halting the auction, stating that the bust originally resided at a temple in Luxor, and was stolen in the 1970s. In turn, statements from Christie's regarding the controversy have been vague and have said that the artefact "had never been the subject of an investigation and that it never would have it if there were legitimate concerns. We recognise that historical objects can raise complex discussions about the past; yet our role today is to work to continue to provide a transparent, legitimate marketplace upholding the highest standards for the transfer of objects,” the auction house added.

Main image courtesy of Hürriyet Daily News