The two Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) statue heads that Australia returned to China. Photo: CCTV News

Australia on Wednesday returned two cultural relics to China, with China’s National Cultural Heritage Administration (NCHA) receiving them at the National Gallery of Australia, the NCHA confirmed with the Global Times on Wednesday.

The two pieces are the head of a civil official statue from the Yongchang Mausoleum and the head of a military official statue from the Yongyu Mausoleum, both linked to China’s Northern Song dynasty (960-1127) imperial tombs.

The mausoleums are located in Gongyi, Central China’s Henan Province, home to China’s largest and relatively well-preserved group of stone sculptures from the Northern Song imperial tombs. The sculptures include human figures and auspicious beasts noted for their rich forms and fine carving.

The returned statue heads are representative examples of Song Dynasty stone carving art.