Call for return
It will always be a matter of speculation exactly how old she was when the royal sculptor Thutmosis preserved
her appearance for immortality.
The sculpture was re-discovered in 1912 by a German archaeologist, Ludwig Borchhardt, during an excavation
in Egypt. It was awarded to the German excavation team under the legal arrangements for the dig and duly exported.
James Simon, the German merchant and patron of the arts who funded the expedition, kept the bust in his
Berlin home for a time, then donated it in 1920 to the government of Prussia, which was a part of Germany.
Nefertiti went on public display in 1924 and has graced various museums since, accompanied by longing calls
from Egypt for her return. The Germans say their legal ownership of the bust is beyond question.
She is set to obtain a new home in 2009 when the collection moves to the nearby Neues Museum after its renovation.
Museum chief Wildung says he often observes museum visitors from his nearby office as they stand in awe
before the Egyptian beauty, who now lacks one eye.
"She is more than just a pretty face," he said. "The people go silent in wonderment at her."
Copyright DPA with Expatica
8 August 2007
http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=42679
