ABSTRACT
The art market represents an intriguing case study of a supposedly free market that is unofficially regulated by a variety of emotional practices and relationships. In many ways, the market of arts and antiquities remains a mysterious institution, dominated by traditional gatekeeping mechanisms that modern capitalism has supposedly disposed of. In the free art market, where regulations are notoriously difficult to enforce, the participation of buyers and sellers still depends on intimate knowledge about the market's rituals and the emotional bonds between market participants, the traded objects, and the personal connections that build upon these emotions to engage in transactions.
