Egyptian royal jewels found stashed in bank vault
The 246-piece collection made for the Mohamed Ali dynasty, including a 44-carat diamond, will soon go on view in Alexandria.
Egyptian authorities have confiscated 246 pieces of jewellery from the Mohamed Ali dynasty, named after the late 19th-century Ottoman ruler who is recognised as having brought the country into the Modern era.
The ornate pieces, which include a 44-carat diamond and a platinum brooch inlaid with diamonds, will soon be put on display at the Royal Jewellery Museum in Alexandria.
The Art Newspaper
September 1, 2014
© Egypt's Ministry of Tourism
The items had been in the possession of an attendant to King Farouk, who abdicated in 1952 following the military coup led by Gamal Abdel Nasser. She had stored the collection in a safe deposit box at the Egyptian Bank (Banque Misr), where it remained after her death, technically in the possession of her husband, who later reportedly offered the objects to antique dealers.
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