London Auction House To Offer Artifact From 'The Age Of Tutankhamun' Despite Dubious Origins
- Apollo Auctions
- Jul 29
- 1 min read
ArtNET - Karen K. Ho - July 25th 2025
An intricately carved grasshopper made of ivory and wood “from the Age of Tutankhamun” is set to be sold by a small auction house on July, reports the New York Times.
However, Egyptian art historians have raised concerns that the cosmetic vessel was possibly stolen by Howard Carter, the British archaeologist who discovered King Tutankhamen’s tombs. Carter spent years cataloging thousands of items found inside the tomb, a number of which, some allege, illicitly entered his own collection.
Apollo Art Auctions has listed the insect-shaped artifact intended to hold kohl or perfume as the “Guennol Grasshopper” with an estimate of £300,000 to £500,000 (approximately $400,000 to $675,000). The auction house also noted it originally sold for 1.2 million USD, and comes with the original invoice....
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