MFA Boston returns Ancient Egyptian child's coffin to Swedish museum it disappeared from decades ago

Provenance research by the MFA Boston revealed that the documents provided when it acquired the object in 1985 were inauthentic. The coffin was actually excavated by the British School of Archaeology in Egypt from a site at Gurob in 1920.

Anytime we deaccession and restitute a work of art from the museum, it serves as a good reminder that we need to exercise as much diligence as possible as we build the collection.

The coffin has been returned to the Gustavianum after being stolen from the Swedish institution, highlighting the importance of maintaining accurate provenance records and conducting thorough research.

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