I Gusti Agung Wesaka Puja, head of Indonesia's Collection Repatriation Team, told AFP the return of artefacts shows his country has the capacity to preserve its heritage

In the mid-19th century, Dutch colonial officials climbing an Indonesian volcano spotted an ancient statue meant to serve as protection against misfortune, looted it, and took it to the Netherlands.

Today, the volcanic rock likeness of the Hindu god Ganesha, bearing four arms and the head of an elephant, stands tall inside Indonesia's National Museum in the capital Jakarta.