The exhibition ‘Royal Bronzes of Angkor: The Art of the Divine’ opens its doors in Paris

The exhibition ‘Royal Bronzes of Angkor: The Art of the Divine’ officially opens today at the Guimet Museum in Paris, France, and will run for four months.

The exhibition ‘Royal Bronzes of Angkor: The Art of the Divine’ opens its doors in Paris

A delegation from the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, led by H.E. Minister Phoeurng Sackona, visited France earlier this week to attend the opening ceremony. This temporary exhibition is jointly organised by the Guimet Museum, the French School of the Far East (EFEO), the Centre for Research and Restoration of French Museums (C2RMF) and the National Museum of Cambodia.

Among the 127 bronze masterpieces on display is a remarkable statue of the reclining Vishnu, which has been undergoing restoration in France since 2024. Originally measuring over five metres long and 4.5 metres high, this exceptional work is considered an unrivalled masterpiece of Cambodian art.

This 11th-century bronze sculpture was discovered in 1936 in the West Mebon temple in Angkor Archaeological Park, in Siem Reap province, by French curator Maurice Glaize. It remains the largest bronze statue ever found at the Angkor site.

‘The Royal Government, under the leadership and long-term vision of Prime Minister Samdech Thipadei, has always prioritised culture as a key element of diplomacy, with the aim of strengthening national identity, promoting tourism and preparing to host the Francophonie Summit in Cambodia next year,’ said the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, adding:

‘Cambodia is extremely proud of its ancestral heritage, which, despite its thousands of years of existence, continues to be the country's best ambassador on the international stage.’

After its run in France, the exhibition will be presented at the Minneapolis Institute of Art in Minnesota, United States, at the end of 2025. In early 2026, the large reclining statue of Vishnu will continue its international journey with stops at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Asian Art in Washington, D.C., and the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, where it will remain on display until early 2027.