News & Events
Events
The Forum on Global Heritage in a Developing World: Focus on Asia
The Forum on Global Heritage in a Developing World: Focus on Asia
May 3, 2012
GHF Event at Guimet Museum
Saving the Next Angkor Wat: Khmer Treasure of Cambodia Banteay Chhmar: Citadel of the Cats
November 2010
Global Heritage Fund held a very successful event in support of our work in Southeast Asia and Banteay Chhmar, Cambodia November 30th, 2010 at the Guimet Museum, the leading museum in Europe focused on Asia.
After an inauguration dance by the Royal Ballet of Cambodia to bless the occasion, we heard on the importance of saving our global heritage from the Cambodian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Uch Kiman, the U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion, and Jacques Gies, President Musée Guimet, who just had returned from Cambodia.
Left to right: Jacques Gies, President Musée Guimet, Cambodian Ambassador H.E. Mr. Uch Kiman, U.S. Ambassador to UNESCO David Killion, GHF Executive Director Jeff Morgan, and John Sanday GHF Asia Director.
John Sanday OBE, GHF Director of Asia, presented his work over the past 3 years restoring Banteay Chhmar and training a professional team of top Khmer conservators. Banteay Chhnar is the first temple conservation project in Cambodia to be led by a Khmer team of professionals training their fellow Khmers.
Dr. Peter Sharrock from University of London SOAS gave a fascinating presentation on the unique Khmer art and iconography of Banteay Chhmar that the GHF Project is bringing to the world for the first time. Banteay Chhmar temple is enclosed by a one kilometer carved bas relief wall depicting the entire history of the Khmer kingdom.
Summary of early findings from Banteay Chmar now dated 1216 CE (Dr. Peter Sharrock)
- The Banteay Chmar temple is the last unrestored and least-damaged repository of the iconography of Jayavarman VII’s late Buddhist pantheon. It will eventually tell us more than the Bayon can.
- Banteay Chmar contains strong evidence for a cult of the supreme tantric Buddhist deity Hevajra and his Yoginis. Jayavarman’s devotion to Hevajra was not unusual in his time. Hevajra cults were widespread in Northern Buddhism then and reached their apogee with Chinese emperor Kublai Khan’s consecration to Hevajra in 1260.
- The iconography of the Banteay Chmar central sanctuary suggests Vajrasattva and Herukas were at the core of the royal cult. The tantric frieze in BC4 may be revealing to us the whole body of the giant, crowned 4-faced deity who sits in the face-towers.
- The GHF Banteay Chhmar conservation program is bringing to light exciting new discoveries into Khmer religion, civilization and history.
Banteay Chhnar is the first temple conservation project in Cambodia to be led by a Khmer team of professionals training their fellow Khmers.
GHF conservation of the Face Towers of Banteay Chhmar.
3D Virtual Rendition of the Banteay Chhmar’s Central Complex outer walls – Looking North.
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To Learn more about Banteay Chhmar click here.
