France & Cambodia: Khmer art at the Musée Guimet

The Musée National des Arts Asiatiques Guimet (MNAAG), better known as the Musée Guimet, is the main museum in France devoted to Asian art.

Head of Jayavarman VII

On four floors, enthusiasts of Asia can discover an extremely rich collection of beautiful objects from regions stretching from Central Asia to Japan, including India, China, Korea and, of course, South-East Asia. The South-East Asia collection features a magnificent series of works from all over the Indochinese peninsula, and particularly Cambodia.

This was achieved by bringing together, between 1927 and 1931, two separate collections of Khmer art: on the one hand, the old collection of the museum that Émile Guimet (1836-1918) had created in Paris, at his own expense, in 1888, essentially from the collection of Cambodian art assembled by Étienne Aymonnier (1844-1929), and on the other, the collection of the former Musée Indochinois du Trocadéro, which had been initiated by Louis Delaporte (1842-1925).

Brahma, Wat Baset, Cambodia, Musée Guimet. Photo Jacques Barbery

The Musée Guimet's collection of Southeast Asian art was subsequently enriched by shipments of objects from the École Française d'Extrême-Orient until 1936.

The Khmer art collection, comprising numerous original sculptures and casts, is the largest in the West. It provides a comprehensive overview of Cambodian statuary from its origins to the present day. Among the finest pieces are a statue of Hari Hara from Maha Russey (dating from the 7th century), a pediment from the magnificent Banteay Srei temple (late 10th century) and the head of Jayavarman VII (late 12th-early 13th century).

Lintel of Prasat Kok Po, with Vishnu riding Garuda

Well displayed, enthroned at the back of the first hall and raised on a column, you can also enjoy the magical spectacle of a moulding of the faces that adorn the top of the towers of the Bayon temple. Also of note is a lintel from one of the sanctuaries at Prasat Kok Po (on the Angkor site), in the centre of which is depicted Vishnu riding on the shoulders of Garuda, and a lintel of unknown origin, in the style of the Pre Rup, which shows Indra brandishing the thunderbolt, riding Airavata, the three-headed elephant.

Pediment of Banteay Srei: two asuras (demons) fight over the apsara Tilottama (episode from the Mahabharata)

The rooms in which the Khmer artefacts are displayed are on the first level of the Museum and are accessible as soon as you enter.

The museum, which we visited in July, is relatively uncrowded, which makes it all the more enjoyable. The purchase of a ticket entitles the holder to a second visit, which must be made within two weeks. To get to the Musée Guimet, get off at Iéna metro station.