Cambodia and France are cooperating to transport the “West Mebon Vishnu” statue along with another 39 pieces of ancient artwork to France for repair and later exhibition.
The large bronze Vishnu statue was discovered by the French in 1936. The statue dates to the 11th century and is one of the largest bronzes ever unearthed at Angkor.
The original stature of the Vishnu measured more than 5m long and 4.5m tall. However, the surviving object is incomplete with only the upper chest, arms and head remaining intact.
Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona presided over a ceremony to mark the beginning of the restoration project with the attendance of Fabrice Etienne, Deputy Head of Mission of French Embassy and other dignitaries.
Sackona said that sending the statue of Vishnu to France is a necessity because the technical facility for proper restoration work is only available in France.
She added that Cambodian archaeologists will accompany the statue to learn the latest techniques from experts.
She said that archaeologists will analyse the composition of the metal in the statue, focusing on the methods of molding large-scale metal statues developed during the Angkorian period.
She said, “After restoration of this beautiful bronze statue, the West Mebon Vishnu will be exhibited at the National Museum of Asian Art in France until the middle of 2025. The exhibition will feature 126 bronze sculptures on loan from Cambodia.”
The exhibition is titled, “Bronze Age of Angkor: Art of the Deities”, and will showcase technical evolution of ancient Khmer metalwork and engraving from prehistoric times until the post-Angkorian period.
The statue is scheduled to ship next Monday.
