Cairo Paints Over Nefertiti Mural Ahead of Xi Visit; UK Collectors Brace for Tax Hike

Cairo officials ordered artists to paint over a public mural of Pharaoh Tutankhamun and Queen Nefertiti this week, days before Chinese President Xi Jinping's arrival in the Egyptian capital. The order followed online backlash alleging the royal figures appeared dark-skinned and promoted an "Afrocentric" view of ancient Egypt.

The work, painted in a golden-bronze palette, fell victim to accusations that it tied ancient Egyptian civilization to sub-Saharan Africa. "We used a golden-bronze tone that cast a kind of shadow on the faces at night, so they appeared dark-skinned," said Ahmed Moussa, who participated in the mural's creation. Local officials then instructed the team to repaint the figures.

What does the row reveal about Egypt's heritage politics?

Egypt's former antiquities minister Zahi Hawass dismissed the criticism outright. "Claims linking ancient Egyptian civilization to sub-Saharan Africa are nonsense," Hawass said. He also faulted authorities for approving the mural without proper oversight.

The episode lands in the days before Xi Jinping's state visit, sharpening questions about timing. Egyptian authorities have not addressed whether the diplomatic calendar influenced the decision.

Will UK collectors exit the market on October 29?

In London, dealers say collectors have "got their fingers poised to move on October 29" if Chancellor John Healey announces a capital gains tax increase in his autumn budget. Philip Hoffman, chief executive of the Fine Art Group, told the Times of London that collectors are watching the date closely.

The speculation centers on a possible hike from the current 24 percent rate to as much as 40 or 45 percent on asset sales, including artworks. The prospect has already pushed some dealers to remove works from the UK, per the Times report. A budget delivered on schedule would fall weeks before the winter auctions at Sotheby's, Christie's and Phillips.

What else is making art headlines?

• A consortium of nine Swiss museums has launched a federally funded project into the provenance of more than 6,300 objects from Cameroon held in their collections, one of the largest such national-level investigations in Europe.
• Fondation Beyeler director Sam Keller discussed the Riehen institution's $144.9 million expansion, calling it a curatorial rather than commercial decision.
• Jackson Pollock's former one-bedroom Manhattan loft — 687 square feet — has come on the market for $1.9 million.
• Cyra Levenson has been named the next president of the Yaddo artist residency in Saratoga Springs, New York.
• Critic Travis Diehl published a final "Libra Season" column for Spike Magazine, reflecting on "what criticism is good for."

Why is the Lucas Museum's central plaza fenced off?

In Los Angeles, the Lucas Museum of Narrative Art has fenced off its central plaza beneath its hovering main building. The Los Angeles Times reported that visitors must now pass security controls to enter the space, a change critics argue undercuts the building's public mission.

Architecture critic Sam Lubell wrote that the new barriers "will dramatically limit the public's desire to enter and change the tenor and experience of a space that should feel porous and inclusive." An adjacent park remains open without restrictions. The museum leases its site from the state of California for $30 a year, a publicly subsidized arrangement that complicates claims of openness.

What comes next?

The Cairo mural's removal sets a precedent for state-mandated erasure of public imagery tied to contested heritage narratives; whether officials restore the original palette after Xi departs remains unclear. London's October 29 budget, meanwhile, will decide whether British collectors stay put or accelerate a flight of capital to Geneva, Hong Kong or the Gulf — and whether works already en route out of the UK make it back before auction season opens.