bust year old painted coated limestone bust great royal wife egyptian work believed crafted sculptor found workshop egypt copied works ancient egypt owing work famous women ancient world icon feminine beauty german archaeological team led discovered bust workshop kept locations germany discovery including cellar bank salt museum currently display berlin originally displayed world war bust cultural symbol berlin ancient egypt icon widely known beauty versatility subject intense argument egypt germany egyptian demands dragged controversy art exhibition doubts authenticity testing analysis bust proved authentic history background meaning beautiful come 14th century chief consort egyptian eighteenth dynasty egypt initiated new form worship called dedicated sun disc little known theories suggest egyptian royal birth foreign princess daughter high government official named regent egypt ruled bore daughters renamed suppression cult married thought disappeared history twelfth year reign death took new known later right ruling short time husband death known alive sixteenth year husband reign limestone quarry inscription found located eastern kilometres north bust believed crafted sculptor bust inscriptions certainly identified characteristic crown wears surviving clearly labelled depictions instance house altar right discovery bust found december orient dog led german archaeologist found sculptor workshop unfinished diary provides main written account find remarks suddenly hands alive egyptian artwork describe words document found archives recalls january meeting senior egyptian official discuss division finds germany egypt according secretary author document present meeting wanted save bust suspected having concealed bust real value denied describes coup adventurous comparison time magazine lists plundered artifacts showed egyptian official photograph bust didn best light bust wrapped box egypt chief inspector came inspection document reveals claimed bust inspector blames inspector points bust exchange list says deal fairly description examinations bust centimetres tall weighs kilograms limestone core covered painted layers face completely symmetrical intact left eye lacks present right pupil right eye inserted black paint fixed background eye limestone wears characteristic blue crown known cap crown golden band looped like horizontal joining cobra broken wears broad collar floral pattern ears suffered damage art ages suggests elegant bust heavy flower slender stalk weight crowned head length neck according bust reflects classical egyptian art style art style developed reign exact function bust unknown bust sculptor basis official portraits kept artist workshop surviving royal portraits normally wholly stone originally painted thin plaster layer largely plaster piece colors commissioned chemical analysis colored head result examination published book portrait queen blue colored copper skin color light red fine lime colored red chalk iron yellow green colored copper iron black coal wax binding medium white chalk missing left eye bust discovered piece represent iris left present eye found despite intensive search significant reward information whereabouts assumed iris left eye fallen sculptor workshop fell ruin missing eye led speculation suffered infection actually lost left eye presence iris statues contradicted possibility proposed bust berlin model official portraits master sculptor teaching pupils internal structure eye left iris added art ages presents similar view bust deliberately kept unfinished suggested created left eye later destroyed bust scan producing cross sections bust millimetres director berlin trying different lighting bust displayed observed neck bags eyes suggesting sculptor tried depict signs aging scan confirmed findings added eyes attempt perfect sculpture explained scan led director berlin revealed face carved inner core bust results published april journal scan revealed placed layers varying thickness limestone core inner face mouth swelling nose bump nose leveled layer according reflect aesthetic ideals era scan provided greater detail revealing subtle details later history bust admired copied images ancient egypt star exhibit market berlin museums seen icon international beauty showing woman long neck arched high slender nose enigmatic smile played red lips bust established beautiful faces antiquity described famous bust ancient art comparable mask icon berlin culture visitors year bust described best known work art ancient egypt arguably antiquity face berlin german postage stamps locations germany bust germany shipped berlin presented wholesale merchant sponsor excavation displayed simon residence simon loaned bust artifacts dig rest collection displayed kept secret request museum discussed public display bust kept secret request permanently donated finally bust unveiled public writing later displayed public bust created sensation swiftly world renowned icon feminine beauty universally recognised artifacts survive bust displayed berlin museum closed onset world war berlin museums emptied artifacts moved secure shelters initially stored cellar autumn moved tower bunker berlin suffered bombings royal_air_force march bust moved german salt march bust found given archives branch moved frankfurt august shipped central collecting point displayed public bust returned displayed early insisted return bust displayed war moved remained moved bust returned centerpiece museum reopened october controversies requests egypt official unveiling bust berlin egyptian authorities demanding return egypt egypt threatened ban german excavations egypt returned egypt offered exchange artifacts germany declined 1950s egypt tried initiate negotiations response germany germany previously strongly opposed considered returning bust king egypt political gesture hitler opposed idea told egyptian government build new egyptian museum middle wonder relinquish head queen bust american control egypt requested united_states hand usa refused advised egypt matter new german authorities egyptian president viewed bust announced best ambassador egypt berlin secretary general believes belongs egypt bust taken egypt illegally returned maintained stance egyptian authorities acquisition demanded germany prove exported legally according argument support finds home country origin preserved country issue sprang sculpture controversy requested intervene return bust threatened ban exhibitions egyptian artifacts germany lent egypt avail requested worldwide boycott loans german museums initiate calls scientific war wanted germany lend bust egypt opening new near great simultaneously campaign called travels launched cultural association based hamburg germany distributed depicting bust words return wrote open letter german culture minister supporting view egypt given bust loan moved old home berlin bust location questioned german art experts attempted claims pointing document discussing pact egyptian authorities discussed earlier accused foul play deal german authorities argued bust fragile transport legal arguments according times germany concerned lending bust egypt mean permanent departure germany december director berlin presented documents held museum discovery bust include protocol signed german bust documents object listed painted plaster bust princess diary clearly referred head proves wrote description country statue commented materials confirm egypt contention act intent said egypt didn consider bust looted antiquity handful truly singular egyptian foreign hands want said statement quoted director museum saying authority approve return bust egypt lies german culture minister allegations authenticity french book bust fraud swiss art historian book missing link berlin author historian claimed bust modern fake claims created bust test ancient bust admired pretended genuine avoid prince argues missing left eye bust sign ancient egypt scientific records bust appear years supposed discovery paint ancient inner limestone core dated suggests wife model bust authors argue revealed public fake theory suggested existing bust crafted 1930s hitler orders original lost world war dismissed claims publicity stunt tests detailed computer material analysis proved authenticity bust matched ancient egyptian scan discovered hidden face proved doubt according bust genuine egyptian authorities dismissed theory said historian argued cut shoulders horizontally vertical shoulders said new style seen bust changes introduced husband claimed sculptor created eye later destroyed body berlin allowed hungarian artist duo place bust atop nearly nude female bronze video installation shown modern art festival project called according artists attempt pay homage bust according showed continued relevance ancient world today art egyptian cultural officials took offense proclaimed disgrace great symbols country history consequence banned wife exploration egypt egyptian minister culture declared safe hands egypt renewed claims good relations germany recent behaviour unacceptable cultural significance german press described bust new monarch queen precious stone setting art treasures establish imperial german national identity hitler described bust unique masterpiece true treasure pledged build museum house 1970s bust issue national identity german states west_germany created world war appeared election poster green political party die promise cosmopolitan multi cultural environment slogan strong women berlin according reason bust associated german national identity place rival find british ruled egypt bust influence popular culture work iconic hair style film bride inspired italian film queen love young sculptor played friend prince loses preserves love famous sculpture uses bust official emblem
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