The $400 Million Coffin and How Much Of Museum Exhibits Are Stolen

Switzerland was once the unofficial headquarters for antiquities laundering, the practice of fabricating a paper trail for stolen artifacts so they could be sold "legitimately" to art collectors or museums. After new legislation several years ago, the hub of illegality moved to Dubai.

This is just one fact from a fascinating Freakonomics podcast episode that focused on the often sordid history of artifacts, how much of it is stolen, and the very tricky process of repatriation where art is returned to its rightful place of origin ... sometimes thanks to minutiae like a random photo of Kim Kardashian standing in front of a $400m gold coffin.

I also came across the entertaining Smithsonian story about the history of 106 rare clocks stolen in a heist. Stories like these mix business, art, crime, law and geopolitics in a real life tale that seems like a movie. In this case, together they made me think about the complex history of the artifacts that represent human culture. If you've ever watched a film called The Red Violin (one of my favorites), you know what I mean. The journey these objects take can sometimes inspire a history of its own.