NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – An ancient Egyptian artifact that had been stolen and passed from owner to owner until ending up sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art for $4 million, was given back to Egypt on Wednesday.
The Gold Coffin of Nedjemankh was stolen from the Minya region of Egypt in the aftermath of the Egyptian Revolution in October 2011.
It dates back to between 150 BC to 50 BC.
Gold Coffin of Nedjemankh (credit: Manhattan District Attorney’s Office)
In February, the Manhattan district attorney’s office executed a search warrant and seized the artifact from a display at the Met.
The recovery was part of an ongoing joint investigation with law enforcement partners in Egypt, Germany, and France.
It was then smuggled out of Egypt and transported through the United Arab Emirates to Germany, where it was restored, and to France, where it was sold to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in July 2017.
Once presented with evidence of the theft, the Met worked with the D.A.’s office for its return to Egypt where it will put on public display.
