Cambodia | Khmer
Most Khmer sculptures were most likely made in what we know today as Cambodia and most of those pieces represented either Buddhist or Hindu philosophies. As early as the 10th Century in Cambodia, we see the style of the Buddha image changing from the classic Buddha images of India. The Buddha image’s faces were flatter than those in India, representing the flatter features of the Cambodian people.
The majority of the sculptures created during the Khmer period were either stone statues or bronze sculptures. Many of the Khmer sculptures have either headdresses or unique and elaborate back-pieces.
As early as 1927, foreigners began to study Angkor Wat, the surrounding temples, and the periods involved artistically from the 5th to 15th centuries in Cambodia. This research has made it possible to establish the chronology of a succession of styles, and to define those styles.
The images of temple guardians and deities are classic representations of Cambodian statuary. These statues and the rarer narrative low reliefs have helped show us the development of Khmer sculpture. Most of the statues are of sandstone and smaller bronze statues (large bronze Cambodian statues are difficult to find.)
Prior to the 10th Century, most of the statues were stiff and traditional. After the 10th Century, we find the style tempered by a greater degree of sensitivity. Banteay Srei (my personal favorite of all the Angkor temples) purely represents more than a century of history where the style of Cambodian art became more concerned with gracefulness rather than the grandeur as in the earlier Cambodian periods of art.
I’ve had the honor of traveling to Angkor Wat twice. As much as I’ve been to Asia over 40 times personally, I must admit that my heart lives in Southeast Asia. Thailand, Vietnam, Burma, Laos and Cambodia hold a special place in my soul. I recently celebrated another decade birthday (I won’t tell you which one.) I wanted to spend this particular birthday in a very special place with my Mom (as I lost my father seven years ago) and I ended up taking her to Angkor Wat in Cambodia. I look forward to returning there soon and often.