SLAM Director: Question of Integrity

Mummy mask from Saqqara
SLAM Director

The Director of SLAM (Saint Louis Art Museum) is facing a dilemma. Does he believe that the Egyptian mummy mask found at Saqqara, and acquired by his museum, was in Cairo in 1966? It appears in the Cairo register.

But that would mean that the parallel collecting history, apparently supplied by the Swiss-based vendor, is little more than fiction.

And if the vendor's collecting history is fiction, then there is a lack of fact.

And the lack of fact means that the mummy mask was likely to have been removed from the Saqqara store in an irregular way.

But that means that SLAM has been using less than sound evidence to defend its position.

Is it time for the Director of SLAM to show his integrity and to start negotiating for the return of the mask?