Animal sculptures to be returned to China

After over 100 years, two lost Chinese national treasures are finally coming home. After holding talks with Chinese officials in Beijing, Francois-Henri Pinault, a French luxury brand tycoon, has announced that he will return the famous bronze rat and rabbit heads to China.

The sculptures are two of 12 zodiac animal heads originally found in Beijing’s Yuan Mingyuan, also known as the old Summer Palace. The palace was looted and destroyed by French and British forces during the second opium war. The animal heads were scattered around the globe after the war.

In 2009, the rat and rabbit heads were put up for auction in France, drawing sharp criticism from China. The Pinault Family bought the artifacts and now plan to send them back to China later this year.