PHNOM PENH: Cambodia on Tuesday (May 7) held a blessing ceremony to mark the departure for France of a large bronze statue of the famous reclining Vishnu along with 39 fragments.
Held at the National Museum of Cambodia in Phnom Penh, the ceremony took place in the presence of Cambodia's Minister of Culture and Fine Arts Phoeurng Sackona.
Discovered at the West Mebon temple in the famed Angkor Archaeological Park in northwest Cambodia's Siem Reap province in 1936 by French curator Maurice Glaize, this 11th-century sculpture is the largest bronze statue ever found on the Angkor site, said a news release after the ceremony.
The statue was originally over 5m long and 4.5m high, the news release said, adding that it is one of the treasures of the National Museum of Cambodia.
As an unequalled masterpiece of Cambodian art, this reclining Vishnu captivates researchers and curators from all over the world, not least because of its symbolism and particular shape, unprecedented for a Cambodian bronze of this size, the news release said.
Sackona said the departure for France of the reclining Vishnu statue was part of an active cooperation project between Cambodia and France.
"This project is aimed at restoring, preserving and studying the reclining Vishnu statue," she said.
During its stay in France, the statue will first undergo a complete scientific study at the National Center for Research and Restoration in French Museums (C2RMF) in Paris, before undergoing a major restoration program at the Arc'Antique laboratory in Nantes.
The minister said the reclining Vishnu will then return to the Guimet National Museum of Asian Arts in Paris, where it will be the centerpiece of an exceptional exhibition dedicated to Cambodian bronze art from April 30 to Sept 8, 2025.
She added that at the exceptional exhibition next year, an additional 126 bronze works loaned from the National Museum of Cambodia will also be displayed. - Xinhua
