Khmers art : sculptures and bas-reliefs

From the trip to Angkor, I start to appreciate the beauty of Khmers art in particular its sculptures and bas-reliefs.  When the Frenchmen rediscovered Angkor Wat in the tropical forest, they were surprised to find the magnificent stone architecture full of sculptures and bas-reliefs that they could not comprehend.  After decades of studies by archaeologists and historians, they now understand that Khmers art and architecture had evolved more than ten centuries of development to reach its peak in the 12th to 14th Century A.D.

Instead of marble, Cambodia has abundant supply of sandstone.  Skillful Khmers craftsmen had made use of high quality pink and black sandstone and turned them into some of the master pieces of Khmers art.  Early in the Cambodian history, Indian sea traders had came to do business with Khmers.  They also introduced their religion and culture to the locals.  Thus, we can find many Khmers sculptures and bas-reliefs about Brahma religion and stories.  

(The whole Banteay Srei was built by pink sandstone and volcanic stone) 

(Beautiful bas-relief on pink sandstone of over 12 centuries old)

Most of the historical Khmers temples were commissioned by kings and nobles for religious and political purposes.  Sculptures and bas-reliefs were used to communicate the Khmers beliefs and messages.  Besides the Hindu gods and later Buddha, many of the Khmers temples were richly decorated with apsaras. 

(Apsaras at the entrance of Angkor Wat)

(Apsaras at the Ta Prohm temple)

(Goddess in the wall of  Banteay Srei) 

In Angkor Wat and Bayon, there are beautiful stone bas-reliefs in their walled galleries.  These bas-reliefs communicated not only the religion stories and the victories of their Khmers kings, they also demonstrated aspects of Khmers life.

(Epics of the Battle of Lanka)

(Khmers soldiers going for war together with war elephants)

(Khmers hunters and fishmen)

If you are also interested in the Khmers art, you should not miss the Angkor Museum and the National Museum in Phnom Penh.  In case you are not in Cambodia, you can read Jessup. Helen Ibbitson and Thierry Zephir (ed.). Sculpture of Angkor and ancient Cambodia millennium of glory. London: Thames and Hudson, 1997.  This book can show you some of the master pieces of Khmers art kept in Cambodia, France and USA.

Angkor Wat, Cambodia : one of the World's Seven Wonders

The rediscovery of Angkor Wat in the center of Cambodian plain by the Western world in the nineteenth century had created a lot of interests and attention.  Angkor Wat was built by the Khmer Empire under King Suryavarman II nine centuries ago.  After the downfall of the Khmer Empire in the sixteenth century, Angkor Wat and its surrounding temples were laid ruin under the approaching tropical forest.  Even though local Khmer were aware of their existence, Angkor Wat was unknown to the West.  Until 1860 a young Frenchman Henri Mouhot made his venture into this medieval site.  Since then, the French colonists and archaeologists reclaimed Angkor Wat from the forest.

(Angkor Wat with its reflection in the water pond)

(Angkor Wat is very beautiful in particular during sunrise)

Besides Angkor Wat, there were several hundreds of temples built by the Khmer in the Angkor area and the central Cambodia plain during the eighth to the thirteenth centuries.  Hinduism first established its cultural roots in Cambodia and then followed by Buddhism.  These temples were built by the Khmer kings and nobles with mix of Hinduism and Buddhism.  

Another great Khmer architecture in Angkor is the Bayon temple built by the King Jayavarman VII.  A series of building projects in the capital, Angkor, were commissioned by this powerful Khmer King. This possibly represents the prime time of the Khmer Empire which had extended its territories into nowadays Vietnam and Thailand.

(At the entrance gate of the Bayon)

(One of the Bayon's face towers - totally 54 towers, each depicted with four faces)

Archaeologist teams from Cambodia and many foreign countries have been working in Angkor in the past decades trying to restore and to protect these Khmer art and architecture.  Many of them are still lying ruin inside the tropical forest.  It is interested to see the strength of nature.  As time past, nature can reclaim its territories from human establishments.

(Tree standing on the ruin of Ta Prohm)

(Tourists taking picture in the "Lost City")

After the glory days of Khmer Empire, Cambodia had fallen into hands of external colonial aggressions, including Thailand, Vietnam, France and Japan. Local Cambodian had underwent great hardship during the civil war with its Khmer Rouge.  The terrible experience with the "killing field" still remains with those survivors.  

Local village live has now returned to its old way.  It seems that the only change is curious tourists around.