The Ganesha (L) and Gajasimha statues. (Photo: thanhnien.vn)

They include a Ganesha statue made of sandstone, which is 95cm high and 48cm long. It was unearthed in 1903 at the My Son relic in the neighbouring province of Quang Nam by the French School of the Far East, and brought to the museum 15 years later.

It is one of the exceptional works that is relatively intact and boasts many unique features of the early Champa sculpture art dating back to the 7th and 8th centuries.

The second treasure is a sandstone statue of Gajasimha mythical animal measuring 215cm in height, 100cm in length and 84cm in width.

It was discovered during an excavation at Thap Mam in Binh Dinh central province in 1933-34 and has been kept in the museum since 1935.

The art piece demonstrates the head of an elephant, the neck wearing a rattle, the chest hair stylised with the stripes often seen on the statues of the Thap Mam period. This sacred animal is a prominent and popular subject for many Champa sculptures during this period.

As of January, the Da Nang Museum of Cham Sculpture is home to six culptures named as national treasures.