Auction of ancient Egyptian artifacts averted as New York Met museum buys collection

A St. Louis archaeological society will not auction Egyptian artifacts after the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York purchased the collection.

The Treasure of Harageh collection consists of 37 items such as flasks, vases and jewelry inlaid with lapis lazuli, a rare mineral. It dates to roughly 1900 B.C. and had been owned for the past century by the nonprofit St. Louis Society of the Archaeological Institute of America.

The auction had been condemned by U.S. and British historians who feared the loss of a valuable cultural resource to the private marketplace. British auction house Bonhams withdrew the treasure Thursday, the planned day of sale, and announced the new deal Friday.