Frédéric Mitterrand, Minister of Culture and Communication, welcomes the presentation to the Egyptian authorities of the five fragments of frescoes from the tomb of Tetiky, prince of the 18th Egyptian dynasty.

This transfer is part of the implementation of the Convention
UNESCO of 14 November 1970
prohibit and prevent import, export and transfer of ownership
cultural property, ratified by France in 1997. Since then,
France forbids to integrate works into national collections
illegally exported from their countries of origin. It set up, to this
prevention actions as well as law enforcement tools
with all the actors concerned: justice, police, customs, culture,
art market.
These five fragments of mural were acquired in good faith for
the Louvre in 2000 and 2003. In November 2008, following the rediscovery
by the archaeologists of the tomb from which these frescoes seemed to come,
Serious doubts are born on the legality of their exit from Egyptian territory.
Since then, there have been ongoing and in-depth exchanges between the
Supreme Council of Egyptian Antiquities and the Ministry of Culture and
On this basis, the Minister of Culture and
Communication convened the National Scientific Commission of
Museums of France, composed of 35 experts, so that it issues an opinion
on the provenance of the frescoes and their departure from the collections of the
Louvre.
On 9 October the committee unanimously delivered a favourable opinion
the decommissioning of works. The Minister immediately decided to follow this
notice and sign the order allowing these fragments to return to their place
original.
This transfer demonstrates France’s willingness to fight, within the framework of the
international conventions in force, against illicit trafficking of goods
and the excellence of the cooperation between the
in the field of archaeology.