The piece was put up for sale at an auction house in London. When Beth West, an art historian with Hampstead Auctions was researching the object, she became suspicious for several reasons.

She became curious after she discovered a museum registration number at the base of the artifact. She then contacted Art Recovery Group, a company in London that is concerned on art repatriation. They started the process of identifying the artifact.

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According to Daniel Castro Benítez, Colombia National Museum director, the sculpture had truly been part of a collection displayed in the museum, although the museum has no record of how the artifact disappeared back in 1939.

According to Christopher Marinello, CEO, Art Recovery Group, the estimated worth of the piece is less than 13,000 dollars.

These kind of ceramic figures were made by the inhabitants of the areas around the Cauca River many centuries before the Spanish conquest of the area.

There was a small ceremony at the Cambodian Embassy in London earlier this month to formally return the artifact to Cambodian authorities.