LONDON -- Christie's is going forward with the auction of a 3,000-year-old stone sculpture of the famed boy pharaoh Tutankhamun despite protests from the Egyptian government.

The sale could generate more than $5 million.

The Egyptian Foreign Ministry has demanded the auction house provide documents proving the statue's ownership and said Egypt holds rights to the piece based on its current and previous laws.

But Christie's has defended the sale process. The auction house said it carried out "extensive due diligence" to verify the provenance of the statue and had "gone beyond what is required to assure legal title."

The King Tut represented in art and artifacts is one of the most prominent symbols of ancient Egypt's glory.