In a historic move for Belgian-Vietnamese cultural relations, the Royal Museum of Fine Arts has returned a rare 12th-century sandstone sculpture from the Champa Kingdom to the Vietnamese government. The artifact, depicting a celestial dancer, was identified as having been illegally removed from the My Son Sanctuary during the mid-20th century. The return was finalized following an extensive provenance research project that confirmed the piece's sacred origins.
Vietnamese cultural officials expressed deep gratitude, noting that the return of Champa artifacts is essential for the spiritual and historical healing of the central coastal regions. The sculpture will be housed in the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture, where it will join one of the world's most significant collections of its kind. This repatriation is expected to pave the way for further collaboration in archaeological research and site management at UNESCO-listed Cham sites.