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National Museum, Phnom Penh

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A grand red sandstone building designed along classical “colonial Khmer” lines, the National Museum is home to an incomparable collection of Khmer sculpture, pottery and bronzes, ceramics, textiles and glass, some centuries old. It was designed by French architect, George Groslier, who was dedicated to preserving the Khmer cultural heritage, and inaugurated by King Sisowath.
  
 

 

 

  

National Museum, Phnom Penh Cambodia

 

National Museum, courtyard, Phnom Penh Cambodia

 

National Museum, main entrance, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

 

Incomparable sculptures and art

Adjacent to the Royal palace, this calm and quiet musem is actually four pavilions built around a lush central courtyard. Behind elaborately carved doors are pre-historic artifacts and pottery and bronzes from the Funan and Chenla eras. Among scores of fearsome temple guardians of nagas and garudas. look out for a number of Angkorian masterpieces - a sublime12th-century carving of King Jayavarman VII in meditative pose, an imposing statue of Shiva and a pair of 10th century fighting giants from Koh Ker.

  
 

Pre-Angkor and Angkor gods

The striking standing 8-arm Vishnu is one of the earliest surviving pieces of Cambodian sculpture, dating from 6th century. Later sculptures depict the deity with 4 arms. A recovered fragment of an 11th century bronze Sleeping Vishnu,  once part of a sculpture more than 6 meters long, comes from West Mebon in Angkor. A pre-Angkor standstone sculpture of Harihara,  who combines the attributes of Shiva and Vishnu, looks down imposingly at visitors.

  
 

Rescued Buddhas

There is a permanent collection of buddhas, ranging from stylized standing pieces to buddhas in meditative positions, rescued from Angkor Wat during the civil war. In the central courtyard, which is decorated with lotus ponds and the only place where photography is permitted, are large temple fragments and a shiva lingam. Visitors prefer to do a clockwise loop as the galleries are arranged in chronological order. There are good descriptions in English, but French and English speaking guides are available when the National Museum opens from 8am to 5pm everyday.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Last Updated on Monday, 14 September 2009 23:01