Artifacts, relics returned to China from Australia

The Australian authorities have recently revealed the return of three historic artefacts to the People’s Republic of China, presumed to have been exported illegally from China.

The items, including a dinosaur fossil over 100 million years old and two figurines from the Tang Dynasty, were handed over to Chinese officials from the suburban scenes of Canberra.

The items were confiscated by the dutiful staff at Australia’s border and then forwarded to further authorities for investigation and confirmation of their origins. This significant event is seen as a precursor to the visit of Australian Prime Minister to Beijing, slated for next month.

The artifacts returned were a fossil of a hyphalosaurus, a long-necked reptile species that thrived in north-eastern China approximately 120 to 133 million years ago.

A Tang Dynasty-era figurine of a rider on horseback blowing a wind instrument.

The two Tang Dynasty figurines depicted a rider on horseback playing a wind instrument, which served as a token intended for a safe journey to the afterlife, and a gilt bronze figurine of Avalokitesvara, a Buddhist deity, presumably an altar piece.

Alongside these significant artefacts, two other items dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties were voluntarily returned by the National Gallery of Australia and a devoted private collector.

It isn’t the first instance of the Australian authorities participating in the return of stolen artefacts. In August, Australia’s national gallery had returned stolen bronze sculptures from the 9th and 10th Century back to Cambodia after a decade-long investigation.

In addition, it was also announced in March that four Aboriginal spears taken by British explorer Captain James Cook and his landing party when they first arrived in Australia in 1770 would be returned to their traditional owners.

In recent months, demands for the return of pilfered historical artefacts from global entities seem to be gaining momentum, with China making calls for the return of stolen relics, including items presently owned by major international museums.