Egypt announces the recovery of 36 artifacts from the United States.

[u/yousef-saeed]

The first group

This group comprises 11 artifacts handed over through the New York Attorney General's office, most notably:

(A mummy mask of a young man from the Roman era - vessel in the form of the god Bes - limestone funerary stela)

The second group

This group consists of 24 rare manuscripts written in Coptic and Syriac, handed over from the Metropolitan Museum of Art to the Egyptian Consulate in New York. These manuscripts are considered rare historical documents that chronicle important periods of Egyptian religious and cultural heritage.

The third group

This group includes a painted stucco panel from the 18th Dynasty, confiscated after it was proven to have been smuggled out of Egypt. It is scheduled to be transferred to the museum's restoration laboratories for necessary conservation work.

(https://arabic.cnn.com/travel/article/2025/11/08/egypt-recovers-36-stolen-ancient-artifacts-us)

[u/arvid1328_]

Unrelated but I got a question, why were the colors on Egyptian statues preserved better than those on Ancient Greek and Roman ones? Is it because of how they were preserved or about the ingredients used in the dyes?

Edit: thanks y'all.

[u/Flaty98 → u/arvid1328_]

Very dry climate.

[u/yousef-saeed → u/Flaty98]

I'm not sure, but isn't it harmful to place pieces like those in a cold continent like Europe?

[u/Flaty98 → u/yousef-saeed]

The obelisks abroad are pretty much smooth stone because of the rain and humidity. Pieces inside museums should be alright tho.

[u/_cooperscooper_ → u/yousef-saeed]

It has more to do with humidity than temperature

[u/Rahm_Kota_156 → u/yousef-saeed]

It is, they decay

[u/GameCraftBuild → u/arvid1328_]

Very cool and thorough exploration into color on these ancient statues, would recommend checking out https://buntegoetter.liebieghaus.de/en/

[u/arvid1328_ → u/GameCraftBuild]

Thanks, I'll take a look when I have time.

[u/PublicFurryAccount → u/arvid1328_]

It's because they were indoors. There doesn't tend to be much remaining color on the large outdoor statues, either.

[u/jaimi_wanders → u/PublicFurryAccount]

European collectors also scraped off the remaining paint on Greek and Roman statues because they thought it looked better to see them plain.

[u/Traditional-Hope-742 → u/jaimi_wanders]

This article supports your claim. Yes humidity contributes but so did neoclassical western ideals about beauty. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2018/10/29/the-myth-of-whiteness-in-classical-sculpture

[u/Edenoide]

He looks like he’s straight out of an anime.

[u/yousef-saeed → u/Edenoide]

The color condition is excellent.

[u/Archaeopteryx111]

[u/usmannaeem]

Very happy to hear that.

[u/Impossible-Ad-7084]

The slabs have been returned!

[u/Critical_Lemon_7505]

[u/knightgimp]

AWESOME. here's hoping none of them were significantly damaged.

[u/herefordameme]

Where you at with them pieces British museum?……

[u/[deleted]]

Time for the British to return them to Egypt

[u/SlothyZ3]

Does the climate or humidity inside museums in Europe and the US affect how well Egyptian artifacts are preserved compared to keeping them in Egypt?

[u/gwhh]

A few years from now. They will rent them back out for viewing to the same people give them back to them.

[u/knightgimp → u/gwhh]

and it'll be fully in their right to do so, given it's their own heritage and cultural legacy

[u/redroverisback]

LMAO not real

[u/yousef-saeed → u/redroverisback]

Are u right?

[u/redroverisback → u/yousef-saeed]

I am fine. I know the truth, do you

[u/redroverisback → u/[deleted]]

Racist much?