'Gods of Angkor' Sculptures on Display at the Getty

The collection includes some of the finest and most beautiful Cambodian bronze art in existence.

By Sharon Cotal
Brentwood Patch
June 7, 2011
More photos here.

Cambodian sculptors created profound bronze castings of Hindu and Buddhist deities during the Angkor period of the Khmer Empire, between the ninth and 15th centuries.

The Getty Museum pays homage to these master sculptors with the exhibit “Gods of Angkor: Bronzes from the National Museum of Cambodia,” which runs through Aug. 14.

“Gods of Angkor” features 26 magnificent sculptures and artifacts, a collection that includes some of the finest and most beautiful Cambodian bronze art in existence.

“We are delighted to give visitors to the museum this rare opportunity to see these exquisite Khmer bronzes on the West Coast, particularly given the local presence of the largest Cambodian community in the United States,” David Bomford, acting director of the J. Paul Getty Museum, said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to our colleagues at the National Museum of Cambodia for lending us so many important pieces for this exhibition.”

As Cambodia's former capital, Angkor once formed the heart of a large sphere of influence that extended over much of mainland Southeast Asia. Artists used bronze to give form to the Hindu and Buddhist deities worshiped in Angkor and throughout the Khmer Empire.

Some of the highlights of the exhibit include a crowned Buddha from the 12th century and a figure of Ganesha—a son of Shiva born with an elephant's head on a boy’s body—from the 13th century.

Jeffrey Weaver, associate curator of sculpture and decorative arts at the Getty Center, will lead a gallery talk on the exhibit July 28 at 2:30 p.m.

The Getty Center is located at 1200 Getty Center Dr. For information about “Gods of Angkor,” call 310-440-7300 or visit the Getty website.