Freakonomics Radio

541. The Case of the $4 Million Gold Coffin

May 4, 2023

53:29

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Episode notes

Introduction

5min

Kim Kardashian's Met Gala Photo Helped Solve Looted Gold Egyptian Coffin Case

2min

The Metropolitan Museum of Art Purchased the Nedgemunk Coffin in 2017 for $3.9 Million

3min

The Metropolitan Museum of Art's $4 Million Blockbuster of a Gilded Coffin Was Looted

2min

The History of the Met's Coffin

5min

The Art Market and the Return of Antiquities

5min

The Myth of the Illegal Antiquities Market

4min

The Economic Argument for Regulation of the Art Market

6min

The Role of Artwork Looted by the Nazis

4min

10.

The Cultural Aspect of Antiquities Trafficking

4min

11.

The Importance of National Laws in Antiquities Law

5min

12.

The Transit Point of Antiquities in the United States

2min

13.

The Economics of Antiquities

2min

14.

The Negative Consequences of Saving an Object

2min

15.

The Importance of Monitoring the Markets

5min

16.

The Mystery of Returning Art

2min

17.

The Hidden Side of Everything

2min

How did a freshly looted Egyptian antiquity end up in the Metropolitan Museum of Art? Why did it take Kim Kardashian to crack the case? And how much of what you see in any museum is stolen? (Part 1 of “Stealing Art Is Easy. Giving It Back Is Hard.”)