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A bust of Tutankhamun sold at an auction in London for over £4.7 million (€5.2 million) on Thursday despite calls from Egyptian officials for the sale to be postponed over speculation that the artifact was stolen, Euronews reported.

The 28.5cm-high quartzite statue — which had been expected to fetch more than £4m (€4.4m) at a sale at Christie's auction house — depicts the ancient Egyptian god of the sun and air, Amun, with the facial features of ancient boy pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Egyptian authorities have been calling for an investigation into the legitimacy of the sale, and suggested that the bust was stolen from Karnak Temple in Luxor.

Christie's says the 3,000-year-old bust is being sold from the Resandro Collection, a private collection of Egyptian art, that was sold in part in 2016 for more than £3m (€3.3m).

In a statement, the auction house said, "We recognise that historic objects can raise complex discussions about the past; yet our role today is to work to continue to provide a transparent, legitimate marketplace upholding the highest standards for the transfer of objects.

It also told The Guardian newspaper that it had provided "extensive information" about the artefact.