Return of relic from US to China a sign of friendship

A 2,800-year-old Chinese bronze item that had gone missing after being stolen overseas 40 years ago was recently returned to its motherland, in a fresh instance of relic protection cooperation between China and the United States, the National Cultural Heritage Administration announced on Wednesday.

The bronze ritual vessel, named Feng Xingshu Gui, was believed to have been crafted during the last century of the Western Zhou Dynasty (c. 11th century to 771 BC).

The vessel, which is 18 centimeters high and 21 cm in diameter and weighs about 6 kilograms, is composed of a large bowl that has double handles in the design of a coiled-nose animal face and rests on three feet shaped like those of an animal. It also features abstract animal designs and patterns in the shape of eaves tiles.