Tried that, just gives me the CG with "I'd love to but I'll need to come back later" instead of any kind of progression. Tried interacting with the front of the statue instead, too, but nothing happens. Tried going fresh from the start and taking slightly different paths (ie. staying outside for the first night) but still no joy. Would it be worth me trying to reset my game altogether?
Edit; After restarting my PC... seems to be working now, first try I could pick them up. No idea why it wasn't working before.