The Amarna Princess , sometimes referred to as the "Bolton Amarna Princess," is a statue forged by British art forger Shaun Greenhalgh and sold by his father George Sr. to Bolton Museum for £440,000 in 2003. Based on the Amarna art-style of ancient Egypt , the purchase of the Amarna Princess was feted as a "coup" by the museum and it remained on display for three years. However, in November 2005, Greenhalgh was brought under suspicion by Scotland Yard 's Arts and Antiquities Unit, and the statue was impounded for further examination in March 2006. It is now displayed as a part of an exhibition of fakes and forgeries.
41-574: In 1999, following some early successes, the Greenhalghs began their most ambitious forgery project yet. They bought the 1892 sale catalogue of the contents of Silverton Park , Devon , the home of the 4th Earl of Egremont , George Wyndham. While the fourth Earl was not known as a collector, previous earls had been: the Praxitelean "Leconfield Head" stands out even among the Greek antiquities at Petworth. One of
82-546: A "monumental pedimented composition around a courtyard" built "in a severely Grecian style". It is the only surviving remnant of the house and was acquired in 1987 by Sir John Smith, founder of the Landmark Trust who sought to prevent it being converted into flats. In 2004, with the financial assistance of private donors, the Landmark Trust started its restoration for use as self-catering holiday accommodation, completing
123-536: A British naval officer who retired from the service in 1825. In 1836, his uncle, George Wyndham , the 3rd Earl of Egremont died, leaving only illegitimate children; George therefore inherited the Egremont title, although the Egremont seat of Petworth House in Sussex and the ancestral wealth passed to the 3rd earl's eldest son. George set about building a grand mansion in 1838 using the architect James Thomas Knowles . At
164-662: A co-regent at that time, or otherwise ruled with his wife Meritaten sometime after year 16 of Akhenaten. Meritaten is mentioned on gold daisies that decorated a garment found in Tutankhamen's tomb. She also is mentioned on a wooden box meant to contain linen garments. The box mentions two kings: Neferkheperure-Waenre (Akhenaten) and Ankhkheperure-mr-waenre, Neferneferuaten-mr-waenre and the Great Royal Wife Meritaten. According to some scholars, such as J.P. Allen, Ankhkheperure Smenkhkare ruled together with Meritaten, but in
205-513: A final ironic note, extra security was installed due to a theft in the museum the week before. In mid-March 2006 Scotland Yard's Arts and Antiquities Unit impounded the Amarna Princess as part of an ongoing investigation of the Greenhalgh family. The Greenhalghs had triggered suspicions when they tried to perform a similar scam again, using the same provenance to support their ownership of what
246-666: A pillared construction that held a painted pavement showing scenes from nature. Meritaten's name seems to replace that of another royal lady in several places, among them in the Northern Palace and in the Maru-Aten . This had been misinterpreted as evidence of Nefertiti's disgrace and banishment from the royal court but, more recently, the erased inscriptions turned out to be the name of Kiya , one of Akhenaten's secondary wives, disproving that interpretation. At some point, Meritaten married Smenkhkare and became his Great Royal Wife. She
287-464: Is believed to be Tutankhamun , her half-brother by another, unnamed wife of Akhenaten. Archaeologist Alain Zivie asserts that Meritaten also became a foster mother to Tutankhamun, referred to as Maia in some ancient records. Zivie noted that Thutmose , the sculptor appointed vizier by Akhenaten and who was found to be the creator of the famous bust of Nefertiti also created one of Maïa (Bubasteion I.20),
328-554: Is depicted with him in the tomb of Meryre II , bestowing honors and gifts upon Meryre. The chronology of the final years of the Amarna Period is unclear, however Smenkhkare is believed to have served as a co-regent to Akhenaten. Meritaten was the Great Royal Wife to Smenkhkare, while Nefertiti continued as the Great Royal Wife of Akhenaten. Nefertiti still held the Great Royal Wife title in year 16, hence Smenkhkare must have been
369-539: Is the daughter of Meritaten. The scene dates to the reign of Akhenaten, and this means the father of the young princess could be Akhenaten. If so, this means Akhenaten took his own daughters as wives. Another princess named Ankhesenpaaten Tasherit had been suggested as an additional daughter of Meritaten, but it is more likely that she is a daughter of Ankhesenpaaten. Meritaten most likely was born in Thebes , early in her father's marriage to Nefertiti, perhaps before he assumed
410-418: Is the most impressive example of its kind in the world." Angela Thomas provided an analysis that suggested a close examination of the item itself. She noted the back pillar which showed that it was "once part of a double statue." Elements of its "extreme style" suggested it was an early era piece, which was enough for her to speculate on which of the six daughters the statue might represent, Meritaten – despite
451-535: Is thought to date to the period when Meritaten's position at court became more important, during the latter part of the reign of Akhenaten. It is possible, however, that the letter refers to the birth of Meritaten. She was married to Akhenaten's successor, the Pharaoh Smenkhkare . Inscriptions mention a young princess named Meritaten Tasherit , who may be the daughter of Meritaten and Smenkhkare . Inscriptions from Ashmunein suggest that Meritaten-tasherit
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#1733085849477492-466: The Hut-Benben . The Hut-Benben was a structure associated with Nefertiti, who is the main officiant in the scenes, the great royal wife being the highest priestess. Meritaten appears behind her mother shaking a sistrum . Her younger sisters Meketaten and Ankhesenpaaten also appear in some of the scenes, but not so often as Meritaten. In year five of her father Akhenaten's reign, Meritaten appears on
533-457: The Amarna Period , but on those depicting official ceremonies, as well. The two structures most associated with Meritaten at Amarna are the Northern Palace and the Maru-Aten . The Maru-Aten was located to the south of the city limits of Amarna. The structure consisted of two enclosures containing pools or lakes and pavilions set in an area planted with trees. An artificial island contained
574-406: The Amarna Princess returned to "pride of place" at Bolton Museum, where it was expected to be a huge draw as the "jewel in the crown" of the museum's highly regarded Egyptian collection. It was set among other items of the same era, including sculptures. The museum's Egyptian curator, Angela Thomas, speculated "It may even be the case that this will lead on to us getting further funds to do more." As
615-404: The boundary stelae designating the boundaries of the new capital to which her father moved the royal family and his administrators. During Akhenaten's reign, she was the most frequently depicted and mentioned of the six daughters. Her figure appears on paintings in temples, tombs, and private chapels. Not only is she shown among images showing the family life of the pharaoh, which were typical of
656-508: The Council, too, expected to receive compensation. However, the presiding judge, William Morris, exonerated the institution and any Council staff involved, preferring to focus on what he saw as "misapplied" talent and an "ambitious conspiracy," and emphasised the sophistication of the deception. One art expert said "the Amarna Princess ... is a reminder that the really good fakes in public and private collections haven't been spotted yet." In 2011
697-640: The Louvre Princess, although in her analysis Angela Thomas, the Egyptology curator of the Bolton Museum, mentioned various other statues from the era as well, most notably the Penn Museum princess. Assessment was also hampered because of the difficulty of testing stone. More than just impressed by the provenance, experts also concluded that "although its head, arms and lower legs have not survived...the statuette
738-522: The Wyndhams who acquired ancient sculptures from Rome might just have obtained, along with other pieces, the Amarna Princess. It was quite plausible then that George Wyndham had amassed a distinguished collection in his own new-built mansion at Silverton. Certainly the auction catalogue notes extended to pages. Among the lots in the sale were a group lot comprising "a draped figure of a female, five marble statuettes and eight Egyptian figures." The vagueness of
779-469: The absence of an inscription, or a head. She concluded the Amarna Princess was of "great significance." The purchase of the Amarna Princess for £439,767 in 2003 made "headlines around the world." The Bolton Museum considered its purchase a "coup," since the statue was purported to be worth closer to a £1 million. The explanation of its apparent cheapness was that the vendor wanted it to stay in Bolton. After
820-643: The burial of the Great King's Wife, Nefertiti, be made in it, in the millions of years which the Aten, my father, decreed for her. Let the burial of the King's Daughter, Meritaten, [be made] in it, in these millions of years. The royal tomb in Amarna was used for the burial of Meketaten , Tiye , and Akhenaten , and likely was closed after the death and burial of Akhenaten. After that, Meritaten's burial may have been planned for one of
861-440: The catalogue description was not too surprising for the time, and if any such actual Amarna art had been there, it may well have remained unrecognised. Shaun Greenhalgh was a professional antique dealer and meticulous researcher and must have been well aware of this. While he did not appear to have had access to the internet, he was well used to the trade catalogues and art books and is known to have worked from photographs. Further to
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#1733085849477902-537: The core of the new building was an older house called Combesatchfield, which Knowles surrounded with classical features, constructed in brick with a render of patented, metallic cement. A frieze depicting the Exodus of the Israelites into Egypt was sculpted on the external cornice. The interior was richly furnished. A classical stable block was built alongside the house. George borrowed heavily and increased rents to pay for
943-419: The first instance this role fell to Christie's , who valued the statue at £500,000. The British Museum also agreed that it was a genuine piece. It has not been revealed exactly what tests were taken or what criteria used to assess the authenticity of the Amarna Princess , beyond the declaration that provenance played "a vital part in the authentication because there was nothing to compare it with," apart from
984-623: The forgery was exposed, there was great interest in the exact source of the funding. It was composed of "£360,000 from the National Heritage Memorial Fund , a further £75,000 from the National Art Collections Fund and £2,500 from the Friends of Bolton Museum and Art Gallery," plus a further £1,500 from the J. B. Gass Trust . Bolton Museum detailed the financing on their website and gave reassurances that no council money
1025-422: The foster mother of Tutankhamun and who, in fact, was "Merytaten, the elder daughter of Akhenaten", "who sat briefly on the throne". The texts of its boundary stele mention that Meritaten was meant to be buried at Akhet-Aten (modern Amarna). Let a tomb be made for me in the eastern mountain of Akhetaten. Let my burial be made in it, in the millions of jubilees which the Aten, my father, has decreed for me. Let
1066-412: The hugely expensive project and died, heavily in debt, in 1845. Silverton Park was uncompleted when George Wyndham died; his widow died in 1876 but attempts to sell the property failed. The contents were sold off in 1892, and in 1902 the house was demolished, although the stable block was converted for agricultural use. The surviving stable block, is according to Nikolaus Pevsner and Bridget Cherry
1107-589: The item's natural obscurity, there are only two other similar statuettes existing in the world. These are held in the Louvre and the State Museum of Pennsylvania . In the event, taking full advantage of the vagueness of the auction notes, Greenhalgh manufactured what became the Amarna Princess , a 52 cm statue, apparently made of a "stunning translucent alabaster ." Done in the Egyptian Amarna style of 1350 BC,
1148-583: The modern technology available." Stephen Johnson, National Heritage Memorial Fund Director was "extremely shocked." He said "the National Heritage Memorial Fund has not been in this position before in its 26-year history." Both the National Heritage Memorial Fund and the National Art Collection Fund indicated that they might seek to recover their monies, as it had not been used for the "Approved Purposes;" while Bolton Museum said
1189-410: The name Ankhkheperure Neferneferuaten . Meritaten was the first of six daughters born to Pharaoh Akhenaten and his Great Royal Wife , Nefertiti . Her sisters are Meketaten , Ankhesenpaaten , Neferneferuaten Tasherit , Neferneferure , and Setepenre . Meritaten is mentioned in diplomatic letters, by the name Mayati . She is mentioned in a letter from Abimilki of Tyre. The reference usually
1230-657: The one in the Louvre. A diagrammatic comparison shows just how close the similarities are, down to the missing limbs. The Amarna Princess being only somewhat taller, by 21 cm (8.3 in). George Greenhalgh, the forger's father, then approached the Bolton Museum in 2002, claiming the Amarna was from his great-grandfather's "forgotten collection," bought at the Silverton Park auction. His great-grandfather had purportedly bought "one of two" Egyptian statues available. George pretended to be ignorant about its true worth or value but
1271-418: The opinion of Bernard Coleridge, 2nd Baron Coleridge was "a monstrous Italian house". The stable block, also designed in a neoclassical style, survives and is managed as a holiday let by the Landmark Trust . In October 2021, the stables was one of 142 sites across England to receive part of a £35-million injection into the government's Culture Recovery Fund . Silverton Park was built by George Wyndham ,
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1312-703: The project in 2008. The art forger Shaun Greenhalgh and his father acquired a copy of the 1892 sale catalogue and used the un-illustrated catalogue descriptions to recreate items, for which the catalogue was used to provide spurious provenances . Their most notorious forgery supported by this false provenance was the so-called " Amarna Princess ", made in the Amarna art style of ancient Egypt , which they sold in 2003 to Bolton Museum for £440,000, but were subsequently unmasked as forgers. Meritaten Meritaten , also spelled Merytaten , Meritaton or Meryetaten ( Ancient Egyptian : mrii.t-itn ) (14th century BC),
1353-426: The significance of what he owned." As more than one commentator has noted: "We are never more likely to be vulnerable to a cheat than when we ourselves are trying to diddle someone out of a masterpiece." Councillor Barbara Ronson, of Bolton Council, was "shocked" to learn that the statue was a fake and promised the council would be carrying out its own investigation. "You wonder how something like this could happen with
1394-486: The statue represents one of the daughters of the Pharaoh Akhenaten and Queen Nefertiti , probable father and stepmother of Tutankhamun . Greenhalgh reputedly "knocked up" his copy in his shed in three weeks out of calcite , "using basic DIY tools and making it look old by coating it in a mixture of tea and clay." A copyist by inclination, his piece was most likely based directly on the known princesses, especially
1435-518: The statue returned to Bolton Museum, featuring in an exhibition of fakes and forgeries. Silverton Park Silverton Park , also known locally as Egremont House , was a large neoclassical mansion in the parish of Silverton, Devon , England . It was built between 1838 and 1845 by George Wyndham, 4th Earl of Egremont , and demolished in 1901. It was, according to the architectural historians Nikolaus Pevsner and Bridget Cherry "an extraordinary design, entirely clothed in colonnades", but in
1476-617: The throne, as she is shown officiating during year five of his reign. The royal family first lived in Thebes and the royal palace may have been part of the Temple Complex of Akhenaten at Karnak . The exact use of the buildings in Karnak is not known, but the scenes decorating the Teni-menu suggest it may have served as a residence. Meritaten is depicted beside her mother Nefertiti in reliefs carved into
1517-463: The year following Akhenaten's death, Smenkhkare died. The theory is, that Meritaten was the 'king's daughter' Akenkeres who is recorded in Manetho's Epitome to have assumed the throne next, in her own right as king and bearing the name Neferneferuaten . Neferneferuaten is assigned a reign of two years and one month and is placed in Manetho's account as the immediate predecessor of the king, Rathothis , who
1558-560: Was an ancient Egyptian royal woman of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt . Her name means "She who is beloved of Aten"; Aten being the sun-deity whom her father, Pharaoh Akhenaten , worshipped. She held several titles, performing official roles for her father and becoming the Great Royal Wife to Pharaoh Smenkhkare , who may have been a brother or son of Akhenaten . Meritaten also may have served as pharaoh in her own right under
1599-481: Was careful to provide the letters Shaun had also faked, showing how the artefact had been in the family for "a hundred years." He told them he was "thinking about using it as a garden ornament." And further, he claimed it had been valued at a mere £500. After their own examination of the Amarna Princess Bolton Museum passed it on to others to evaluate, in accordance with their stated best practices. In
1640-555: Was involved. The Amarna Princess first went on public display in the Hayward Gallery as part of the prestigious "Saved!" exhibition of 2003. Opened by the Queen the exhibition was meant as a "celebration of 100 years of saving art for the [British] nation." Billed as "spectacular," it spanned "4,000 years of art history," which would have made the Amarna Princess one of the oldest items there, had it been genuine. On January 31, 2004,
1681-668: Was purported to be an Assyrian frieze. They were subsequently caught , and both father and sons were charged with laundering the money involved with the Amarna Princess . Shaun Greenhalgh was later convicted in November 2007. On searching their property, police found evidence of tools and material for making sculptures, and two other completed copies of the Amarna Princess . After the trial, Bolton Museum scrambled to distance itself and described itself as "blameless." The museum insisted that it had followed established procedure, though they called George Greenhalgh "a nice old man who had no idea of