Northampton Sekhemka statue facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Northampton Sekhemka statue |
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Statue of Sekhemka
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| Height | 75 cm |
| Width | 43 cm |
| Created | c. 2420 BC |
| Discovered | c. 1850 |
The Northampton Sekhemka statue is an amazing ancient Egyptian sculpture. It was given to the Northampton Museum around 1870 by the Marquess of Northampton. This statue is very old, dating back to the 5th dynasty of Egypt (around 2494–2345 BC), which means it's even older than Stonehenge! It shows Sekhemka, who was a scribe (someone who wrote things down), sitting with his wife, Sitmerit.
In July 2014, the statue was sold, causing a lot of debate. People questioned if the museum truly owned it and if it was right to sell such an important piece of history. The statue was sold for a huge amount of money, £15.76 million, which was a world record for ancient Egyptian art sold at auction. Because of this sale, Arts Council England removed Northampton Museums' special status on August 1, 2014. They said the sale didn't follow the rules for how museums should manage their collections.
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What the Sekhemka Statue Looks Like
This statue shows Sekhemka sitting in a classic scribal pose, which means he looks like he's ready to write. He holds a partly unrolled papyrus scroll on his lap. This scroll lists different offerings. An inscription on the base of the statue tells us his name and title: "Inspector of Scribes in the House of Largesse, one revered before the Great God." His wife, Sit-Merit, is shown sitting at his feet.
The statue is made of limestone and stands about 75 centimetres (30 in) tall. Its base is about 43 centimetres (17 in) from front to back. An archaeologist named Mike Pitts took many detailed color photos of the statue when it was on display before the auction.
Where Did the Statue Come From?
The exact story of how the Sekhemka statue was found and came to Northampton isn't completely clear. Some reports say the Northampton Museum got the statue in 1849 from the Ottoman sultan. Another story suggests that the 2nd Marquess of Northampton got it during a trip to Egypt around 1850. His son then gave it to the Northampton Museum around 1870.
Even in 1961, a historian named T. G. H. James noted that the museum didn't have exact records about how they got the statue. However, based on an old record from 1899, it's likely the 2nd Marquess brought it back from Egypt in 1850.
The Big Debate: Selling the Statue
Northampton Borough Council said they found out how valuable the Sekhemka statue was in 2012 during an insurance check. They then started planning to sell it to raise money for other heritage projects in the area. The council leader at the time, David Mackintosh, said the statue had been with them for over 100 years but was "never really the center piece" of their collection. He explained they wanted to expand their museum and needed to raise money to do so.
The council planned to use the money from the sale to help restore Delapré Abbey, improve museum services, or fund other cultural projects. However, the Museum Association asked them to stop the sale. They wanted the council to prove that selling the statue was truly a "last resort" and that they had explored all other options.
Why Security Was Mentioned
The council claimed they took the statue off display in 2010 due to security worries after it was valued. They said it would need 24-hour guarding. However, an insurance company later said that the display case the museum used before was actually "adequate." People also wondered why the council didn't accept an offer of £8,000 from the Friends of Northampton Museum and Art Gallery to buy a new display cabinet. The council didn't answer this specific question.
What People Thought About the Sale
In October 2012, the council shared the results of a petition. Many people signed it, asking the council to rethink selling Sekhemka. They believed the sale would harm Northampton Museums, go against what the original donors intended, and possibly make the museums lose their special status and access to important public funding.
The council said they asked the public for their opinions in January 2013. But the way they did this was criticized by the Museum Association's ethics committee. They pointed out that the survey only asked people where the money from the sale should go, not whether the statue should be sold at all. It also didn't "acknowledge the historical importance of the object to the museum."
Even so, the BBC reported the council's claim that 51% of 173 replies were in favor of the sale, and 49% were against it. However, since the survey didn't directly ask if the statue should be sold, the council used optional comments to support their claim. A group called the Save Sekhemka Action Group disagreed with the council's survey methods and launched their own. Their survey showed "overwhelming support for protecting the museum's accredited status and keeping the statue." A local newspaper's Facebook poll also found that most people wanted to keep the statue.
The Marquess's Agreement
The current Lord Northampton first protested the council's decision to sell the statue. However, after a year of talks, he made a private agreement with the council. This deal meant he would receive £6 million from the sale. The council has not shared the details of this legal agreement.
In June 2014, the council was asked if they would show the documents about the agreement with the Marquess. They replied that the details were confidential but confirmed that 55% of the sale money would go to the council and 45% to Lord Northampton. The Save Sekhemka Action Group later questioned why the Marquess would get so much money if the council truly owned the statue.
Protests Against the Sale
Many groups spoke out against the sale. The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities asked the Egyptian Embassy in London to try and stop the sale. They said selling museum items for money goes against the purpose of museums, which is to share culture. They also asked the International Council of Museums (ICOM) to stop the sale for ethical reasons.
The Museum Association for the United Kingdom warned the council that Northampton's membership would be reviewed if the sale went ahead. The Arts Council of England also said the sale could put the museum's special accreditation status at risk, which might limit its ability to get funding in the future. An archaeologist named Andy Brockman, who was part of the Save Sekhemka campaign, said the sale would "bring Northampton Council into disrepute."
Many experts agreed that selling artifacts to pay for museum expenses is against the rules of national and international heritage groups. They worried that a famous piece of Egyptian art might disappear into a private collection, meaning the public, students, and scholars wouldn't be able to see it. They urged the council to stop the sale and set an example of ethical behavior. Some also worried that the sale might encourage illegal digging and stealing of ancient Egyptian treasures.
The "Curse of Sekhemka"
Some people joked about a "Curse of Sekhemka." In July 2013, a local politician who didn't want the statue sold said, "I've read there is a curse attached to Sekhemka and if it should fall on anyone, it should fall on this administration." The day before the auction, the estate office of the Marquess of Northampton's Castle Ashby caught fire, leading to more talk about the "Curse Of Sekhemka."
The Auction Day
Christie's auction house sold the Sekhemka statue for £15.76 million on July 10, 2014. The buyer was kept secret. During the auction, a protester briefly stopped it, shouting that "no-one should bid or buy it...stolen property." Outside, a small group of Egyptian protesters also demonstrated. The final price was almost £10 million more than Christie's had estimated, and it broke the world record for an ancient Egyptian artwork sold at auction.
What Happened After the Sale
The Save Sekhemka Action group called the sale a "day of shame for Northampton." They said it was "the decision of one man [council leader David Mackintosh], taken against all professional advice." The Egyptian Embassy called it a "shameful and unethical act." Scott Furlong from Arts Council England said it was "very disappointing" that the council went ahead with the sale before discussions were finished. Council leader David Mackintosh said the council's share of the money would be used to improve the museum. The writer Alan Moore also spoke out against the sale.
The The Art Fund said that while they support careful management of collections, they are strongly against selling items just for money, unless it's a very special situation and the money directly helps the museum's collection. They said this sale didn't fit those rules and risked the museum losing its special status. They also pointed out that the council would only get 55% of the money, and the museum would lose access to funding for future projects.
The Arts Council announced on July 24, 2014, that Northampton Museums' accreditation would be reviewed. They were concerned that selling items from public collections for money could make people lose trust in museums.
Museum Loses Its Special Status
On August 1, 2014, Northampton Museums officially lost their accreditation from the Arts Council England. This meant the sale of the statue broke the rules for how museums should manage their collections. Because of this, the museums could no longer get funding from many arts grants and funding groups. They are not allowed to apply for these funds until at least August 2019.
Scott Furlong of the Arts Council said it was sad to remove a museum from the scheme, but it was important to uphold the standards. David Mackintosh, the council leader, called the decision "disappointing" and "puzzling."
The Save Sekhemka Action Group said it was a "black and shameful day for Northampton's Culture and Heritage." They believed it would lead to the decline of both the Central and Abington Museum because they would lose access to grants from groups like the Lottery and Arts Council England. They estimated the money lost from not having accreditation could be more than the £8 million the council got from the sale.
In November 2014, the council's request for a grant of £240,400 for a shoe exhibition was turned down because they no longer had Arts Council accreditation. The Museums Association also banned the council from membership for five years.
Friends Group Disbands
In September 2014, the Friends of Northampton Museums and Art Gallery decided to close down after 55 years of helping the town's museums. The sale of the statue was part of the reason for this decision, as the group was against it.
Export Ban and Unknown Location
On March 30, 2015, the British culture minister, Ed Vaizey, put a temporary four-month ban on the statue being sent out of the country. It was rumored that an unknown buyer from overseas, possibly American, had bought it. The Arts Council said there was a chance the statue could be bought by a UK buyer if someone offered the recommended price of £15,732,600 plus VAT.
On October 2, 2015, Vaizey extended the export ban until March 29, 2016, because there was a serious attempt to raise money to keep the statue in the UK. However, no one made a counter-offer during this time, and in April 2016, the ban was lifted. The current location of the Sekhemka statue is unknown.
Questions About the Sale's Legality
On April 21, 2015, the Save Sekhemka Action Group said they believed a condition of the original gift of the statue was that it should never be sold. If true, this would make the auction illegal. The group said they didn't want to buy the statue back but suggested it should be displayed in a major museum. They also questioned the £6 million payment to the Marquess of Northampton's family from the sale money.
In October 2016, the BBC reported that the statue is now thought to have been sent to the United States. The BBC also revealed that the council, which made £8 million from the sale, had been warned by lawyers not to sell it for "financial motives." The council said they sold the statue to help fund a £14 million expansion for their museum and art gallery.
Images for kids
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Statue of Sekhemka on display in Northampton Museum and Art Gallery 1950s
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Bearers of Offerings, Statue of Sekhemka
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Sekhemka holding a papyrus roll asking for offerings in the Afterlife
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Display case from "Ancient Egypt: The Northampton Collection" 1987
