Egypt Reportedly Challenges Bonhams with Allegations of "200 Stolen Antiquities"

An odd article from Al Ahram Online makes a sweeping allegation. According to the text, Egypt has informed the International Criminal Police Organisation Interpol of allegedly stolen artefacts on sale at London's Bonhams auction house on May 1st. A collection of more than 200 of them, it says.

 It claims that "the Repatriation of Antiquities Department (RAD) at Egypt's Ministry of State for Antiquities (MSA) is following the issue with the Interpol officials", and that "Interpol is in contact with relevant authorities in the United Kingdom (UK)". The Egyptian Ambassador to London Ahraf Alkhouly has complained and asked Bonhams to put on hold the Egyptian artefacts auction ("Alkhouly added that he is still waiting for the RAD of the MSA to send him the documents which claim the items on sale were stolen"). Bonhams rejects the accusations. According to Al Ahram:

The objects include an Egyptian polychrome painted wood sarcophagus fragment (664-30 BC); a limestone fragmentary royal stele for King Merenptah (19th Dynasty, 1212-1201 BC); a bronze cat (600 BC) and a bronze seated figure of Neith (Late Period, 664-332 BC).

The Merenptah stela is easy to identify as lot 279 ("Provenance: D. Barr Collection, New York. Acquired in 1978-9 from Nicolas Landau (1887-1979), Paris"). The catalogue notes that it has been suggested that from the quality of the carving, "this stele is probably from the funerary temple itself or possibly from Karnak Temple on the east bank"). In which case one might ask how and when it left the ground (or lapidarium?) and exited Egypt. I'd say it is perfectly justified for a seller to have to address this issue. The item had a reserve of £40,000 - 60,000/ US$ 62,000 - 93,000/ €47,000 - 71,000 and failed to sell (was it withdrawn?).

There are several "bronze cats" on sale. One of them is the Lot 315 "An Egyptian bronze cat Late Period, circa 600 B.C."   26.5cm high excluding tang, mounted Estimate: £30-50,000/ US$ 46-77,000/ €36-59,000). The provenance is interesting: "Swedish private collection of Lars von Celsing (1916-2009), acquired in Cairo in 1972, whilst ambassador to Egypt". Presumably left Egypt in a diplomatic bag, was it given to him as a diplomatic gift or did he purchase it in some souk? Is this the one the Egyptians want back? (note the date). There is another: "lot 329 An Egyptian bronze cat Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C."  17.7cm  high excluding the tenons Estimate: £15-20,000/ US$ 23-31,000 /€18-24,000. "Provenance: Acquired in Vienna in 1984. Steyskal Paur Collection, Austria, before 1983". I will admit that this one, despite its scabby corrosion is attractive, the raised left paw is a nice touch. It did not sell.

Then there is Lot 330 "An Egyptian bronze seated figure of Neith Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C.",   10cm high, estimate: £6-8,000/ US$ 9,300 - 12,000 €7,100 - 9,500 "Provenance: Peeters Family Collection, Belgium, formed between 1958-1976".

There are several sarcophagus fragments,  Lot 283 (TIP 1069-702 B.C.) for example. My guess is what is mentioned is lot 334
Three Egyptian wood polychrome sarcophagus panels Late Period, circa 664-332 B.C. The polychrome painted gesso on wood depicting on panel (a) a ba-bird surmounted by a sun-disc and atef feathers, panel (b) depicting two priests carrying ankhs in front of Imsety and Duamutef, panel (c) depiciting Osiris in typical mummiform, his name above, surmounted by a winged sun-disc with uraeus, composed of five fragments, each panel approx 18¼in (46.5cm) long, mounted in a wood and perspex case Estimate: £6,000 - 8,000 US$ 9,300 - 12,000 €7,100 - 9,500 Footnotes Provenance: Swiss private collection, acquired from Schuler Auction, Zurich in the mid-2000s. Swiss private collection formed in the 1970s.  
I suspect that there is more behind this challenge than the apparently euphemistic "Swiss private collection" There are at least four such items in this sale:
lot 286: An Egyptian alabaster lidded kohl jar, Middle Kingdom.
lot 313: An Egyptian bronze statue of Neith, Late Period.
lot 334: Three Egyptian wood polychrome sarcophagus panels, Late period.  
lot 354: An Egyptian wood mummy mask, Late Period.
(Notably, that "late period" is dated two different ways)

We are asked to believe that all four passed from the same "Swiss collection" through a Swiss auction house without being split up, and to another (?) "Swiss collector" who now about a decade later has decided to sell all four. What lies behind this?

There are some other stated collections which have some interesting disposal histories in this auction.  It is rather odd to see here eight isolated items (for example the rather nice lot 296) from this collection: "UK private collection. Formed by Sgt William Ellott (d.1915) of 1st Battalion Scots Guards, and J.G. Judd, (b.1923), collecting in the 1940s", since the bulk (?) of that collection figures in an upcoming auction by Bonhams later on this month (May 8th sale lot 282 to 291). These are also popping up on ebay too (seller andy_sayer1).

Then there is the mysterious fate of something called "German private collection, the Ruhr". This is an odd one. To look just at those being sold at the beginning of May we have an interesting situation:
Bonhams May 1st Lot 257:  Byzantine reliquary, "German private collection, the Ruhr, acquired in the 1970s. Edward J. Smith Collection, Weehawken, New Jersey, USA, prior to the 1970s".
Bonhams May 1st Lot 262: Predynastic green schist palette, "German private collection, the Ruhr, acquired in the 1970s. Edward J. Smith Collection, Weehawken, New Jersey, USA, prior to the 1970s."
Bonhams May 1st Lot 281: turquoise glazed composition shabti  "German private collection, the Ruhr, acquired in the 1970s. Edward J. Smith Collection, Weehawken, New Jersey, USA, prior to the 1970s".
Bonhams May 1st Lot 111: Roman bronze horse, "German private collection, the Ruhr, acquired in the 1970s. Edward J. Smith Collection, Weehawken, New Jersey, USA, prior to the 1970s".


Bonhams May 1st Lot 271:  figure of Montu, "German private collection, the Ruhr. With Nicholas Wright, London, circa 1980.". Is this the same German collection from the same region, but sold to a different dealer and now appearing on the market coincidentally at the same time as the others?

But then what about the next two?
Bonhams May 1st Lot  142: Bactrian banded alabaster bowl, "German private collection, the Ruhr. With Gawain McKinley, London, prior to 1980".
Bonhams May 1st Lot 140: Mesopotamian shell leopard amulet "German private collection, the Ruhr, acquired in the 1970s. With Gawain McKinley, London, prior to 1980".

Then we have some more in the upcoming May 8th sale:
Lot 245,  Roman carnelian intaglio of Athena "German private collection, the Ruhr, acquired in the 1970s. Edward J. Smith Collection, Weehawken, New Jersey, USA, prior to the 1970s".
Lot 251:  Byzantine carnelian intaglio "German private collection, the Ruhr, acquired in the 1970s. Edward J. Smith Collection, Weehawken, New Jersey, USA, prior to the 1970s".
but then:
Lot 330 :  Egyptian green glazed composition amulet of a ram, "German private collection, the Ruhr. J.N. Claesen Collection, Holland, formed prior to 1975".
Lot 332,  Egyptian green glazed amulet of a hedgehog Saite Period, 26th Dynasty "German private collection, the Ruhr. J.N. Claesen Collection, Holland, formed prior to 1975".
 
So what is going on here, one or four separate "German private collections", all from "the Ruhr" ad all being split up this year?

What is behind the Egyptian newspaper article's accusation of "200 stolen objects"? Beaurocratic overreach/overenthusiasm, or a genuine complaint? Or is it just journalistic hyperbole or mistranslation? Why are the identified objects picked out, and why did none of them sell?

Actually many of the objects auctioned off by Bonhams on May 1st failed to sell. I'd like to think it was due to doubts over the still rather too vague collecting history-substitute texts (all called "footnotes" by Bonhams.

Anon: Egypt challenges a UK auctioneer over 200 'stolen' antiquities Ahram Online, London , Wednesday 1 May 2013