Swiss Interior Minister Elisabeth Baume-Schneider handed the mask to Egypt’s ambassador during a ceremony in Bern. The handover took place at the Beatrice von Wattenwyl House and was intended to underline Switzerland’s efforts to combat the illegal transfer of cultural property.
The mask was declared by a transport company at customs in Bardonnex, in Geneva canton, on September 5, 2022. Swiss authorities became suspicious of its provenance and the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security blocked its import.
The Federal Office of Culture then requested an assessment by an Egyptology expert, who confirmed that the mask was authentic. The object was subsequently confiscated as part of criminal proceedings and handed over to Egyptian authorities.
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The return was carried out under a bilateral agreement between Switzerland and Egypt that has been in place since 2011 and covers the import, transit and return of cultural property.
Switzerland has returned around 80 cultural objects to Egypt under the framework over the past 15 years.
