WATANI International
1 May 2011
The new Egyptian Ministry of State for Antiquities Affairs (MSAA) has announced the start of production of the first batch of replicas of Egyptian antiquity pieces. The batch includes 130 replicas of statues from the unique collection of King Tutankhamun (c1348 – 1339), to be sold to tourist centres and hotels in the Red Sea resort of Sharm al-Sheikh for EGP2.3 million, and to be delivered within 18 months.
Zahi Hawass, Minister of State for Antiquities Affairs, said the new production comes under the intellectual property and trademark rights of the MSAA production of replicas. According to the law, the MSAA is the only body licensed to produce exact replicas of Egyptian antiquity on a 1:1 scale. Amr al-Tibi, the executive director of the replica production unit at the MSAA said that 40 skilled artists and painters are working in this unit carving, painting and producing the replicas.
El-Tibi said he hopes the first batch of replicas would help increase the revenues of the MSAA, and would enhance the sale of replicas locally and abroad.