THE SAGA OF THE LOUVRE AMARNA PRINCESS

Louvre Artifact # DAE, E 27215

What kind of foolish people, would decline an offer to sell an artifact, they deem to be a fake, for $ 1,000,000.00- yes, ONE MILLION US$? With my apologies to France, the answer is : the current Director of the Louvre and his staff of Egyptologists!

The following is a synopsis of an unbelievable blunder by one of the world's most prestigious institutions : the Louvre Museum. For the full story, please refer to “The Saga of the Louvre Princess “ @ http://www.mansooramarnacollection.com >

In 1981, the family of the late M.A. Mansoor, antiquarian in Cairo, donated to the Louvre Museum, an Ancient Egyptian statuette of a Princess, in pink limestone, daughter of Akhenaton and Nefertiti, to honor the memory of the late Etienne Drioton( Google “ Etienne Drioton” for more information on him ). The artifact was accepted by the Louvre,upon the recommendation of legendary Egyptologist Dr. Christiane Desroches Noblecourt. There it stayed until Dr. Noblecourt's retirement, then it mysteriously disappeared. Our inquiry brought the lame response, by Dr. Christiane Ziegler, then Chief Egyptologist at the Louvre, that the Louvre was running out of space! Several years later, we inquired again about the artifact. This time the response by Dr. Guillemette Andreu Lanoë was really a shocker, since she claimed that the artifact was a " fake"! Attempts to " reason" with her brought no satisfactory solution, so we asked for the return of the artifact. This time, the Director of the Louvre, Mr. Henri Loyrette responded that the artifact was entered in the inventory of the National Museums and taking it out, would require the approval of the Director of the National Patrimony and that it would take months to remove from the inventory. We think he was trying to discourage us and telling us to forget it. Attempts to contact that Director, brought no response either and one wonders if that person really exists. We contacted Mr. Frédéric Mitterand, Ministre de la Culture without any success either!We even went as far as appealing to then President Sarkozy, but at the time he was engaged in a presidential election which he subsequently lost and the response from his Chef du bureau was no help.

There the matter stood, until a member of the Mansoor family, offered the Louvre $ 1,000,000.00 ( One Million US dollars) for the return of the artifact ( see letter in the Mansoor Amarna Collection web site, the Saga of the Louvre Princess). Another shocker, this one by the Director of the Louvre. This man should have been a politician! He wrote a two page letter- see letter in the Mansoor Amarna Collection web site- repeated what he told us these past two years, essentially said nothing, except that the artifact will remain in the Louvre! If he were smart, he should have accepted the offer, got rid of a " fake" and made $ 1,000,000.00 to boot !

One wonders what is going on at the Louvre.
  1. The current Director, and Egyptology staff, could have easily solved this quandary by following the Louvre's own protocol, referred to by Dr. Noblecourt: i.e.artifacts entering the Louvre MUST be approved by its scientific staff. Had they done so, they would have easily recognized their error. But common sense does not enter in this matter. The Louvre's Egyptologists submit to the opinion of one Dietrich Wildung, a sworn enemy of the MAC and the Mansoor name!
  2. So, what exactly is the responsibility of the so called Egyptologists at the Louvre. Protect interests of the Louvre, by submitting the artifact to THEIR OWN SCIENTISTS or listen to the opinion of this Wildung?
  3. What exactly is the function of the Louvre's Museum Director ? An artifact of this rarity must be accorded some " respect". Did he read what HIS OWN SCIENTISTS wrote in 1981? With today's vast technology, did he bother to have the artifact reexamined scientifically? Obviously, he does not realize the importance of this artifact? Some director!
  4. We wrote Dr. Bruno Laurioux of the Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique ( CNRS). But he did not respond. Did someone, at the Louvre, order him to keep silent?
  5. If , according to the Louvre's Egyptologists, the artifact is a fake, why didn't they get rid of it when we asked for its return?
  6. And why decline an offer of ONE MILLION DOLLARS for a" fake"? They KNOW THIS IS AN ANCIENT ARTIFACT, and they don't want it out of their hands. They know the artifact is worth many, many,many times the amount offered and , a source close to the Louvre, told us, they are holding out for a higher offer. That is being dishonest.They are kicking the problem down the road and letting the next Director of the Louvre( see about Mr. Loyrette’s retirement, further down) and the next " generation" of Egyptologists decide its fate.
  7. Frankly, we fear for the safety of the artifact, consider it to be in hostile hands and demand its return WITHOUT THE PAYMENT OF ONE MILLION DOLLARS.
  8. One final observation: AGLAE, a state of the art research center owned by the Louvre, IS LOCATED IN THE BASEMENT OF THE LOUVRE! How difficult is it to send the artifact with a low level employee to the AGLAE center for a reexamination of the object? Common sense would dictate that, but this Wildung is watching and woe to whoever goes against his decision.

This whole cabal is unworthy of an honorable establishment such as the Louvre. Belgian Egyptologist Professor Claude Vandersleyen said that “Egyptology” is a "MAFIA" and the Louvre's Egyptologists have proved him right and it is up to the Government of France to clean up this mess and restore the reputation of the Louvre!

The world of Art will hold the current administration of the Louvre and its Egyptologists responsible for any harm done to this artifact.

Is there ONE person of courage and integrity at the Louvre, who could solve this problem ? I can think of one! I understand that the current Director of the Louvre Museum, Mr. Henri Loyrette, is retiring in April 2013. Would he have the courage and integrity to solve this problem, before or after he leaves ? Time will tell.

Another person of integrity and courage I can think of, is the same aforementioned Professor Vandersleyen. At one time he tried to come out for the Mansoor Collection, but the Mafia got to him.( see his letter @ http://www.mansooramarnacollection.com/correspondence/itsamafia.shtml ).The letter is self explanatory.Its a shame. This mafia is trying to destroy an honest man. This is what the “wall of silence” that Wildung built around the collection will do for you. But now that Wildung is on the decline, maybe another person of courage will show up.

This is a synopsis of a " sad and dishonest" affair, perpetrated by the staff of the Louvre, which was once one of the most revered institutions of the world. The entire story is published in our web site http://www.mansooramarnacollection.com/, just click on” the Saga of the Louvre Princess”

Your comments, questions and suggestions are welcome and your privacy will be protected.

Happy New Year.

Alfred Mansoor



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The Saga of the Louvre Princess