With a smiling, gracious and auspicious look, a stone sculpture stood guard quietly at the front door of the exhibition of “Chinese Treasures Returned from Overseas,” which was held from June 12 to July 10, Beijing.

As its name “Returned Bodhisattva” suggests, the over-one-meter-high goddess made during Northern Wei and Eastern Wei (386-550) has experienced twists and turns ever since its discovery back in 1976 in Boxing, Shandong Province. It was stolen in 1994 and brought back to China in January 2008. During the 14 years away from homeland, the sculpture once showed up in Britain and later was purchased by Japanese MIHO which exhibited it to the public in 2000.

Different from the Bodhisattva’s composure, the painted pottery horse on display looked sturdy and bold, ready to gallop forward. This Han (206 BC-220 AD) masterpiece was smuggled to Sweden in 1995 and then its collector submitted it to the Museum of Far East in Sweden, which decided to return the horse to China in 2004 in accordance with International Council of Museums' Moral Norms for Employees of Museums.