Collectors and Dealers: The Trade of Egyptian Antiquities

Lecture with Kim Ryholt, Professor of Egyptology and Director, The Papyrus Carlsberg Collection and Project, University of Copenhagen, Denmark
Many of the Egyptian objects in Western museums were acquired during the heyday of the antiquities trade market in Egypt from the 1880s to 1930s. The scale of this trade was staggering, but its mechanics and networks are poorly known. Kim Ryholt will discuss his most recent research on the trade’s geography, dealers, and legal issues, as well as the role that Egyptian museums and Egyptologists played in the acquisition of objects. He will also highlight how the antiquities trade and acquisition policies have played a decisive role in dictating the research agendas of Egyptologists.
Tuesday, April 21, 2015, 6:00pm