Royal Bronzes: Cambodian Art of the Divine at the Minneapolis Institute of Art

 

Buddhist Triad: The Buddha Enthroned on The Naga, Surrounded by Lokeshvara and Prajnaparamita
Angkorian period, late 12th to early 13th century
Cambodia, Siem Reap province, Prasat Bakong district, Roluos, Veal Kralanh
Bronze, mercury gilding
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, contribution by Conservation d’Angkor (1970), Ga.2424
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

 
 

Royal Bronzes

Cambodian Art of the Divine

October 25, 2025 — January 18, 2026

 

Step into the splendor of Cambodia’s Khmer Empire in “Royal Bronzes: Cambodian Art of the Divine,” a groundbreaking exhibition in collaboration with the Guimet – National Museum of Asian Arts, France, and the National Museum of Cambodia. While Angkor’s monumental stone temples are world renowned, this exhibition highlights the empire’s exquisite bronze artistry—statues, ritual objects, and artifacts that reveal a fascinating blend of artistic mastery, religious devotion, and royal power.

Featuring more than 200 objects, including a colossal sculpture of the Hindu god Vishnu—a Cambodian national treasure—this exhibition offers an unprecedented look at Khmer bronze craftsmanship brought to light through recent archaeological discoveries. Witness the enduring legacy of Cambodia’s sacred metallurgical traditions and their profound cultural significance.

 
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Exhibition Preview

 

 Shiva’s Bull
Angkorian period, 12th–13th century
Cambodia, Siem Reap province and district, Angkor, West of Angkor Wat
Head and body: bronze, mercury gilding
Base: leaded bronze (6.4% Sn, 6.3% Pb [ICP–MS]), mercury gilding (pXRF)
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, contribution by Conservation d’Angkor (1970), Ga.5739
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Bust of Anantashayin Vishnu
Angkorian period, second half of the 11th century
Cambodia, Siem Reap province, Puok district, Angkor, West Mebon
Bronze, mercury gilding, silver, lead, cinnabar
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, Ga.5387
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Ganesha
Angkorian period, 13th century
Cambodia, Siem Reap province, Puok district, Angkor, Prasat Yeay Moa
Copper-based alloy
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, contribution by the Musée Guimet (1996), Ga.5987
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Hevajra
Angkorian period, late 12th to early 13th century
Cambodia, Siem Reap province and district, Angkor Thom, royal palace
Bronze, mercury gilding
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, sent by Bernard-Philippe Groslier (1958), Ga.4170
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

The Buddha Adorned, Making The Gesture of Fearlessness with Both Hands
Angkorian period, second half of the 12th century
Cambodia, Siem Reap province and district, Angkor, Angkor Wat
Leaded bronze
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, contribution by Musee Louis-Finot of Hanoi (1955), Ga.2081
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

The Buddha, Adorned, Making the Gesture of Fearlessness (sk. abhayamudra)
Post-Angkorian period, 18th–19th century
Cambodia, exact provenance unknown
Copper-based alloy, gilding, glass jewelry
Paris, Musee Guimet, donation by Suzanne and Bernard-Philippe Groslier (1980), MA 4869
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Gateway Guardian: Kala or Mahakala
Angkorian period, late 12th to early 13th century
Exact provenance unknown, Cambodia or a neighboring country
Bronze, mercury gilding
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, restitution by Douglas Latchford (2023), NMC.2691
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

 Female Divinity
Angkorian period, second half of the 10th century
Exact provenance unknown, Cambodia or a neighboring country
Bronze
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, restitution by Douglas Latchford (2023), NMC.2857
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

The Buddha Making The Gesture (sk. Vitarkamudra) of Discussion with Both Hands
Pre-Angkorian period, 7th–8th century
Exact provenance unknown, Cambodia or a neighboring country
Leaded brass
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, restitution by Douglas Latchford (2023), NMC.2853
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

 The Buddha Enthroned on The Naga
Angkorian period, first half of the 10th century
Exact provenance unknown, Cambodia or a neighboring country
Bronze, silver, glass
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, restitution by Douglas Latchford (2023), NMC.2856
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Male Divinity
Angkorian period, late 11th–early 12th century
Cambodia, Takeo province, Kirivong district, Prasat Phnom Bayang
Bronze, mercury gilding
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, mission by Henri Mauger (1936), Ga.2993
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Maitreya
Angkorian period, early 10th century
Cambodia, Kampong Chhnang province, Kampong Tralach district, Buddhist monastery of Vat
Ampil Teuk
High-tin bronze, silver, glass, stone
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, contribution by the Royal Library (1926), Ga.2024
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

The Buddha Adorned, Enthroned on The Naga
Angkorian period, third quarter of the 12th century
Cambodia, Siem Reap province and district, Angkor, Srah Srang
The Buddha: leaded bronze. Naga: leaded bronze.
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, contribution by the Musée Guimet (1996), Ga.5986
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Shiva in The Form of Sadashiva or Bhairava
Angkorian period, 13th century
Cambodia, Siem Reap province, Puok district, Angkor, Prasat Yeay Moa
Bronze
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, contribution by Conservation d’Angkor (1970), Ga.2778
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Seated Bodhisattva
Angkorian period, early 11th century
Exact provenance unknown, Cambodia or a neighboring country
Bronze, silver, glass, stone
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, restitution by Douglas Latchford (2023), NMC.2855
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Garuda-Shaped Figurehead
Angkorian period, late 12th to early 13th century
Exact provenance unknown (Cambodia, Preah Vihear province, Kulen district, Phnom Sandak)
Bronze
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, donation by Douglas Latchford (2011), Ga.7319
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Buddha Making The Gesture of Fearlessness (sk. abhayamudra)
Post-Angkorian period, 14th–15th century
Exact provenance unknown, Cambodia or a neighboring country
Copper-based alloy
Paris, Musee Guimet, purchase (1943), MA 27
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

Gamma radiography of the Vishnu bust
Phnom Penh
© National Museum of Cambodia, Ga.5387

Ritual Vessel
Protohistoric period, 400 BCE–200 CE
Cambodia, Phnom Penh municipality, Meanchey
arrondissement, Chak Angre
High-tin bronze
Phnom Penh, National Museum of Cambodia, purchase (1948), Ga.2083 and Ga.3082
© Musée national du Cambodge, Phnom Penh / photo Thierry Ollivier / musée Guimet

 
News 16Editorial TeamArt of the Ancestors, Steven G. Alpert, Asian Art, Island Southeast Asian Art, Oceanic Art, Asiatica, Ethnographica, Ethnographic Art, Art Collection, Fine Art, Primitive Art, Indonesian Art, Tribal Art, Eyes of the Ancestors, Dr. Reimar Schefold