An intricately carved ivory and wood grasshopper from the Age of Tutankhamun, known as the 'Guennol Grasshopper,' is set to be auctioned by Apollo Art Auctions in July with an estimate of £300,000–£500,000. Egyptian art historians, including German Egyptologist Christian Loeben, have raised concerns that the cosmetic vessel may have been stolen by British archaeologist Howard Carter, who discovered King Tutankhamen’s tomb and allegedly kept some items for his own collection. The auction house states there is no documented evidence linking the object to the tomb, and it has been cleared against the Art Loss Register, but experts like former Met director Thomas Hoving have long connected it to the pharaoh’s burial.
This case matters because it highlights ongoing ethical and legal challenges in the art market regarding looted antiquities, particularly from Egypt. Despite serious expert doubts about the object’s provenance, the Egyptian government has never filed a claim or requested its return, leaving the artifact in what the Art Loss Register calls an 'awkward area.' The sale revives debates about colonial-era archaeology, the responsibilities of auction houses, and the moral imperative to repatriate cultural heritage—especially items potentially taken from one of history’s most famous tombs.