Following the discovery that three bronze sculptures dating from the 9th and 10th Century had been stolen, the Australian National Gallery will return them to Cambodia.

In order to determine the origin of the works, the two countries conducted a decade-long investigation.

The Cambodian government called the historic move “an important step toward redressing past injustices”.

Globally, cultural goods that have been looted are being returned.

Originally from Vietnam and Cambodia, these three artworks came from the Champa Kingdom.

In 2011, the National Gallery of Australia (NGA) purchased the sculptures for A$2.3m (£1.18m; $1.5m) from British artefacts smuggler Douglas Latchford, who died in 2020.

According to the NGA, Mr. Latchford has been implicated in the illegal trade of antiquities since 2016. He was accused of trafficking stolen and looted Cambodian artifacts in 2019.

In 1994, the three statues were dug up in a field in Tboung Khmum, east of Cambodia, before being smuggled to international art dealers in Thailand and ending up in Mr Latchford’s collection.

As Cambodia prepares a new home for the works in Phnom Penh, the works will remain on display at the NGA in Canberra for three years.

According to Australia’s Special Envoy for the Arts Susan Templeman, “this is a chance to right a historical wrong, but also to strengthen our ties and deepen our understanding.”