Switzerland Returns 3,000-Year-Old Funerary Mask to Egypt
Wednesday, September 16, 2026
The Head of the Federal Department of Home Affairs, Elisabeth Baume-Schneider, handed over a funerary mask from the 2nd century BC to the Egyptian Ambassador to Switzerland. The restitution underscores Switzerland's commitment to combating the illegal trafficking of cultural property.
Federal Councillor Elisabeth Baume-Schneider handed over an Egyptian funerary mask dating from the 2nd century BC to the Egyptian Ambassador to Switzerland, Mohamed Yehia Mohamed Negm. The mask had been seized in Switzerland as part of criminal proceedings. It was officially handed over to the Egyptian authorities during a ceremony at the Beatrice von Wattenwyl House in Bern, which was also attended by a representative of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities.
On September 15, 2022, a transport company declared an Egyptian funerary mask while passing through customs in Bardonnex (Geneva). Suspecting that the object might originate from an illicit source, the Federal Office for Customs and Border Security (FOCBS) blocked its import and asked the Federal Office of Culture (FOC) to examine it.
The mask was subsequently submitted to an Egyptology expert for assessment, who confirmed the mask's authenticity and dated it to the mid-Ptolemaic period.
The restitution highlights the cooperation between Switzerland and Egypt in protecting cultural heritage, as well as Switzerland's commitment against the illegal transfer of cultural goods. Since the bilateral agreement between the two countries on the import, transit, and repatriation of cultural property entered into force in 2011, Switzerland has returned approximately 80 cultural artifacts to Egypt.
Main Image: Swiss Parliament