Foreign Min. Contacts Christie Over King Tut Statue

Egypt launched efforted to halt an auction of a 3,000-year-old stone sculpture of the famed boy pharaoh Tutankhamun at Christie House in London.

A statement issued by the Foreign Ministry late on Monday conveyed Egypt's demanding the auction house to provide documents proving the artifact's ownership. The statement reads that Egypt has also reached out to British authorities and the U.N. culture and education agency to stop the sale.

According to AP, the statue — a brown quartzite head depicting King Tut — is scheduled to be auctioned off in July and could generate more than $5 million.

King Tut ruled Egypt from 1332 to 1323 B.C. His tomb was discovered in 1922 by Howard Carter in Luxor.