Millennium of Glory: Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia [Paperback]

National Gallery of Art (U. S.) (Author), Helen Ibbitson Jessup (Editor), Thierry Zephir (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0894682725 | ISBN-13: 978-0894682728 | Publication Date: June 1997

The 1000-year artistic legacy of Cambodia, including some of the most beautiful works of art and architecture, is displayed in the pages of this encyclopaedic, illustrated volume. Published to coincide with the exhibition opening in Paris in 1997 which then travels to the National Gallery of Art in Washington, it examines the mysterious culture that flourished on the mainland of Southeast Asia between 600 and 1600 AD. Centred on the northern shores of Cambodia's Great Lake, the Tonle Sap, and extending westward into eastern Thailand, the civilization reached its climax in the early 12th century AD, with the construction of Angkor Wat. Recent peace accords and a new democratic assembly have made this historic study possible. Embracing both Buddhist and Hindu traditions, the sculpture ranges from monumental works in sandstone representing gods and goddesses, guardians, female dancers and legendary creatures, to refined ritual and ceremonial bronzes. The religion, iconography, architecture and symbolism of this mysterious country is described against a historical background, depicting the various cultural environments through the decades. Together with a catalogue, stylistic analysis, glossary, timeline, bibliography and index, this work reveals insights to a culture that is still relatively unknown.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Because the devastating civil war and present political turmoil have put Cambodia beyond the reach of all but the most determined traveler, the great exhibition of Khmer art now making the rounds of French, American, and Japanese museums is an unparalleled chance to examine a group of powerful and subtle sculptures representing ten centuries of Khmer civilization. Angkor, the great city and temple complex in central Cambodia, is only the best known of a host of sites throughout Southeast Asia covered in this exhibition catalog. Because of the climate, the vast majority of the works are stone sculpture, and their grace and clarity are well depicted in the 256 illustrations, which are given historical and religious context by 13 disparate essays. Although there are photos of Angkor and an essay on architecture, this is primarily a catalog of superb sculpture representing not only the Angkor era but the whole flowering of Khmer civilization. Recommended for art and archaeology collections in public and academic libraries.?David McClelland, Philadelphia
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Helen Ibbitson Jessup, guest curator for the exhibition, is also the author of Court Arts of Indonesia. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Paperback: 381 pages
• Publisher: Natl Gallery of Art (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0894682725
• ISBN-13: 978-0894682728
• Product Dimensions: 12 x 8.9 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.4 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,777,093 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Most beautiful current book on Khmer sculpture, March 10, 2001

By 

alexander treves (London, England) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Sculpture of Angkor and Ancient Cambodia: Millennium of Glory (Hardcover)

This is a superbly produced book about ancient sculpture from the Angkor region. The photographs are wonderful and the text is well written and scholarly. If, as I do, you believe that Khmer sculpture is amongst the most beautiful ever made then you will be able to spend hours enjoying this book. One warning: since most of the objects are located in the museum in Phnom Penh, if you are a collector of such books you are unlikely to find images of sculptures which you haven't seen already.