Gods of Angkor: Bronzes From the National Museum of Cambodia
Staying in yesterday’s theme about sculptures, I wanted to bring another exhibit to your attention, especially our American readers or those traveling to Washington, DC in the coming time. “The Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia” is a compact exhibit of 38 bronze sculptures from the ancient Angkor empire. These statues reflect the Hindu origins and evolution towards Buddhism of the religion celebrated by the ancient Angkorians. They are also wonderful examples of the rich imagery that they were so fond of and which so generously adorn the Angkor temples in Cambodia.
The New York Times arts section ran a wonderful 2-page article about the exhibit with a lot of great background about the evolution of the religious beliefs of the intriguing empire that was the ancient precursor of today’s Cambodia.
The exhibit is at the Smithsonian’s Freer + Sackler Galleries in Washington DC. It opened in May and runs until January 23, 2011.
(Thinking of visiting the temples of Angkor Wat? Don’t forget to check out my friend Savuth’s tuk tuk services and all the handy information available on Angkortuktuk !).