FOUR Cambodian statues are on their way home from the Denver Museum in the United States following a memorandum of understanding between the two countries.
The Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts said the office of the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Homeland Security Investigations filed a civil forfeiture action against the Denver Museum and seized the four Cambodian antiquities.
The Phnom Penh Post reported the ministry as saying the four priceless artifacts were a Khmer sandstone sculpture depicting a standing Prajnaparamita, a standing Surya, an iron-age bronze bell and a sandstone lintel depicting a sleeping Vishnu and the birth of Brahma.
The standing Prajnaparamita dates back to the late 12th or early 13th century and it depicts the bodhisattva of wisdom in Buddhism.
"According to reports from witnesses, this Prajnaparamita statue was found in a rice field near an ancient temple in Takeo province not far from Tonle Bati," the ministry said in a statement.
The sandstone standing Surya statue dates back to the 7th or 8th century and it depicts the Sun God of Hinduism.
This statue is believed to have been taken from a temple on Mount Kulen in Siem Reap province.
It is extremely rare – one of just a few examples of Surya sculptures known to still exist.
The iron-age bronze bell was found as part of a set of 12 bells in an area that straddles Pursat and Battambang provinces.
Scholars believe that they were crafted and tuned to create a special effect when they were all rung together, but it has been impossible to test that theory as some of the bells remain missing.
The sandstone lintel of the sleep of Vishnu and birth of Brahma dates back to the 7th or 8th century.
It is similar to the temple lintels at the Sambor Prei Kuk temple complex in Kampong Thom province, but it comes from a temple on Mount Kulen.
Culture minister Phoeurng Sackona said the recovery of these four priceless heritage objects was possible today because Cambodia has achieved peace and it will continue to be a top priority of the government to secure the return of the "souls of our Khmer ancestors that departed Cambodia during the time of war and conflict".
"We encourage all museums and private collectors in possession of any Khmer cultural properties to reach out to the ministry, share with us your provenance documentation and consider moving forward and voluntarily repatriating to Cambodia its looted cultural treasures.
"Because we will continue to gather extensive evidence on the looting of our treasures and the improper possession of them by others," she said.