CAIRO: A statue dating back to the 26th Dynasty was returned to Egypt Sunday from New York.
The statue was bought by an American woman in 1995 from an antique shop as a gift for her husband, who saw that it is better to return it to Egypt.
Marchese Mario directly contacted Zahi Hawass, secretary general of the Supreme Council of Antiquities (SCA), inquiring on how to return the statue to Egypt.
Hawass advised Marchese to deliver the statue to the Egyptian Consulate in New York.
Marchese went to the Semitic Museum, affiliated with Harvard University, to safely pack the statue, ensuring its arrival to Egypt with no damages.
Ahmed Mustafa, the general manager of the retrieved monuments board, said the statue was received Sunday by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in coordination with the Egyptian Consulate in New York.
An archaeological committee at the SCA is preparing a report on its condition. -Daily News Egypt
