Two hundred years ago people and museums in Europe wanted to display the mummified remains of Ancient Egyptian people in their museums. This included the Leeds Philosophical and Literary Society. The European fascination with Egypt had generated trade in mummified remains and other important artefacts out of Egypt. Egypt had been occupied by France and later by Britain, so Europeans had both the presence in positions of power and the means to acquire objects for their museums at home.

It is likely that an Italian horse-dealer called Giuseppe Passalacqua uncovered Nesyamun during excavations at Thebes in the early 1820s. Nesyamun and the mummified remains of other people were sent to Trieste, Italy and from there to London.  John Blayds, a rich Leeds banker, bought Nesyamun from Bullock’s Museum in London in 1823 and Nesyamun has been in Leeds ever since.