Treasures of Cambodia's Angkor Empire Come to Korea

Soon visitors to the Seoul Museum of History will have the opportunity to appreciate the traditional culture of Cambodia as a range of artifacts from the Southeast Asian nation goes on display at the museum later this month.

The exhibition ``The Treasures of the Angkor Empire?? will open on June 29 and run through Sept. 12, and will feature 104 relics mainly from the Khmer Empire, which was based in the Angkor region of Cambodia from the 9th to the 15th century.

Designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992, Angkor archeological park, which includes the famous temple of Angkor Wat, is one of the most important archeological sites in Southeast Asia.

The exhibition will be divided into three sections, with the first room showing mostly stone relics from the pre-Angkor period from the first century to the eighth century.

The second section features the stone remains of the Angkor period when the region?s architectural and sculptural arts reached their peak.

The third section shows typical artworks from the post-Angkor period, including wooden Buddha statues and religious paintings.

Some of the major artifacts to be displayed include a 12th century bronze sculpture of Nandin, the bull ridden by the Hindu god of destruction Siva, and a stone sculpture of the head of Jayavarman VII, who ruled the empire from 1181 to 1218.

``When seen in an exhibition format, the artifacts will be less real and harder to appreciate than if they were seen in the original archeological sites surrounded by nature,?? Yun Che-gab, curator of the exhibition, said during a preview tour for the press on Tuesday. Thus photographs of the Angkor Wat temple and other important historical sites will also be displayed to give context to the works and help visitors enjoy the exhibition like a real trip to the sites, Yun added.

``The main goal of the exhibition is to have visitors appreciate the artistic value of the remains themselves,? Yun emphasized.
The artifacts to be displayed here are leased from the National Museum of Cambodia and both Cambodian and Korean organizers hope the exhibit will contribute to further bilateral cultural exchanges between the two countries.

Sourced from Korea Times.