The Great Sphinx of Tanis Returns to the Louvre Museum
In October 2024, the teams at Bovis Fine Art Île-de-France carried out an exceptional handling operation: the lifting and relocation of the famous Great Sphinx of Tanis to the heart of the Louvre Museum. This large-scale project perfectly illustrates our expertise in hoisting monumental sculptures in Paris, even in environments with extreme access constraints.
A Custom-Built Handling Platform
To enable the introduction of the sphinx, our technical teams designed and installed a handling platform attached to the museum’s façade. This specific structure, conceived by our in-house engineering department, allowed the sculpture to be safely received at the height of a large building window, while respecting the Louvre’s historic architecture and strict museum conservation standards.
Precision Lifting with a High-Capacity Mobile Crane
The Great Sphinx of Tanis is a monumental piece weighing several tonnes. To hoist it onto the platform, we deployed a high-capacity mobile crane, capable of performing extremely precise lifting operations. Thanks to perfect coordination between our crane operators, site supervisors, and specialised art handlers, the introduction of the piece was carried out without any excessive vibration or risk to its integrity.
Bovis Fine Art Expertise and Know-How
At Bovis Fine Art, we know that every monumental sculpture requires a unique approach. Our more than 45 years of experience in artwork handling, our charter of excellence, and our specialised equipment enable us to meet the most complex challenges: restricted access, dense urban environments, and absolute respect for artworks and buildings.
This operation at the Louvre showcases the strength of our method:
- Preliminary technical analysis and 3D modelling of operations
- Fabrication of custom infrastructures (platforms, metal structures, temporary protections)
- Use of lifting equipment adapted to exceptional loads
- On-site coordination with museum teams and security services
Thanks to this expertise, Bovis Fine Art stands out as the benchmark partner for sculpture hoisting in Paris and in the world’s greatest cities.
The Great Sphinx of Tanis: A Masterpiece of Ancient Egypt
Discovered in Tanis, in the Nile Delta, the Great Sphinx of Tanis is one of the most imposing sculptures from Ancient Egypt preserved outside Egypt. Probably dating from the Middle Kingdom (around 1900 BC), it depicts a sphinx – a lion’s body with a human head – symbolising royal power and protection. Carved from a single block of pink granite, it measures over 1.80 metres in height and weighs several tonnes. Installed at the Louvre Museum since the 19th century, it remains one of the jewels of the Egyptian collection, admired every year by millions of visitors.
