Cambodian Vishnu bronze goes on display in San Francisco
The 1,000-year-old sculpture is on loan from Cambodia’s national museum for an exhibition running until January 25.
A bronze sculpture depicting Vishnu reclining is the centrepiece of an exhibition that opened on October 23 at San Francisco’s Asian Art Museum. The 1,000-year-old Cambodian work features in “Vishnu’s Cosmic Ocean”, which examines connections between Hindu beliefs, water infrastructure and Khmer royal authority.
Lent by the National Museum of Cambodia, the sculpture will return to Cambodia when the exhibition ends on January 25. It is the largest ancient bronze sculpture discovered in Southeast Asia. According to the Asian Art Museum, it is approximately six metres long.
The bronze came from West Mebon temple in the Angkor region, where it was installed about 1,000 years ago on a man-made island within a reservoir. Its setting reflected Hindu beliefs about Vishnu resting on the serpent Ananta before the universe’s creation. Buried for centuries, it was rediscovered in 1936.
The museum said an opening ceremony scheduled for October 25 would include a Khmer Buddhist blessing organised by Wat Dhammararam. Performances by Morodok Angkor and Proleung Seilaphak are also planned, alongside art activities, storytelling for families and exhibition tours.
On November 1, the Society for Art and Cultural Heritage of India will hold a separate event featuring Natasha Reichle, the museum’s curator of Southeast Asian art, and former curator Forrest McGill. Their discussions will explore how Khmer rulers drew on water engineering and Hindu mythology to express authority and foster prosperity.
