Australia returns ancient stone heads to China after more than 30 years

In a move that follows a 30-year absence, two ancient stone sculptures have returned to China after being displayed at the National Gallery of Australia in Canberra. The statues, depicting the heads of a military official and civil servant, were created during the Northern Song dynasty (960–1127). They were gifted to the gallery by a private collector in 1995, with their origins tied to imperial mausoleums in Henan province, where seven of the nine emperors are interred.

China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration received the heads on Wednesday, as reported by state broadcaster CCTV. The sculptures were believed to have been removed from the mausoleums during the 1990s, a period marked by widespread illegal trafficking of ancient cultural artifacts in China. According to a 1999 article in Archaeology magazine, nine stone statue heads were stolen from the Northern Song mausoleums during the mid-to-late Nineties, with their location, ownership, and transfer method remaining unknown until their recent return.

The return of the sculptures marks a significant step in cultural exchanges between the two nations. The agreement to enhance cultural cooperation was part of Chinese Premier Li Qiang's visit to Australia in 2024, marking the first such visit since 2017. As a result, an exhibition of indigenous Australian artworks will be displayed in the National Museum of China next month, while China’s terracotta warriors will be exhibited at the National Gallery of Australia in December.

The visit of Chinese ambassador Liu Jinsong to the National Museum of Australia in September further underscores the commitment to fostering these exchanges.