Culture & Life

Khmer empire

The Khmer empire was the largest continuous empire of South East Asia, based in what is now Cambodia. The empire, which seceded from the kingdom of Chenla, at times ruled over or vassalised parts of modern-day Laos, Thailand and Vietnam. During the formation of the empire, the empire had intensive cultural, political, and trade relations with Java, and later with the Srivijaya empire that lay beyond the Khmer state's southern border. Its greatest legacy is Angkor, which was the capital during the empire's zenith. Angkor bears testimony to the Khmer empire's immense power and wealth, and the variety of belief systems that it patronized over time.

Khmer Art

It was once feared that Khmer art had been erased forever under the reign of the Khmer Rouge. But a few years of destruction of many
of the country’s artefacts, temples, books and sculptures was not enough to completely destroy all of its legacies.
Architecture: Nothing characterizes Khmer architecture more than the magnificence of its temples. Wood buildings and statues have deteriorated, victims of time and harsh weather, but thousands of brick and sandstone temples and spires stand tall in every corner of the country, from busy cities to lost jungles. Laterite protective walls, coatings of stucco, towering pavilions, the precise positioning of stone blocks, moats, libraries and raised platforms; these are typical characteristics of many Khmer temples. More unique are the decorated lintels of Sambor Prei Kuk and Preah Ko, complex features of Bayon faces, long hallways of Pre Rup,
and elaborate carvings at Banteay Srei.

Sculpture: Early Khmer sculpture was heavily influenced by Indian art; reflected in the narrow waists and curvaceous hips of mens’ bodies and religious figures carved in bas-relief on walls. It saw many transformations, with the appearance of female figures, free-standing statues no longer supported with arches, the evolution of facial features from realistic to stylized to idealized, moustaches, stiff poses, and larger mediums, before seeing a decline in the 13th century. Today the best collection of Khmer art can be found at the National Museum in Phnom Penh, including grand depictions of Vishnu, Shiva and other gods in stone and bronze.