The Minnesota Institute of Art on Thursday unveiled its newest exhibit called "Royal Bronzes: Cambodian Art of the Divine." 

The new exhibit showcases hundreds of bronze statues never before seen in the United States. The display is in collaboration with museums from around the world.

"It's the only place in the United States that this exhibition is and will be in its full version here," said Virajita Singh, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer at the institute.

Among the highlights is a huge sculpture of the deity Vishnu, a Cambodian national treasure that shows the artistic mastery and religious devotion of the Khmer Empire. The exhibit shows the technical brilliance of Cambodia's bronze artistry.

"The key figure is where we are right now, which is the Vishnu figure," Singh said. "Which is an incredible archaeological discovery."

In a partnership between Guimet National Museum of Fine Arts, France and the Royal Government of Cambodia, years were spent exhuming and piecing together these bronze sculptures.

"This is a special exhibition that we planned for many years, almost a decade," said Chhay Visoth, Director of National Museum of Cambodia. "It gives light to proof about the achievements of Cambodian ancestry in the past."

The exhibition also holds a meaningful claim to Minnesota, home to one of the largest Cambodian communities in the country. 

"I believe they will be the messenger after this and spread out the history, culture and tradition," Visoth said.

Visit the MIA's website for more information.