• My last post of the year on the main website is a bumper issue on the highlights from this past year in Southeast Asian Archaeology. Link in the bio or here:https://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/2020/12/29/southeast-asian-archaeology-2020-year-in-review/
#southeastasianarchaeology #yearinreview
  • Non-archaeology post, BLACK FRIDAY SALE: A couple of special deals for @adobe products and @expressvpn until 28 November. These are software that I actually use in my day-to-day work, so they might be useful to you too. 24% off for Adobe Creative Cloud (more if you’re a student or teacher!) and 3 months free for a 12-month subscription to Express VPN. Link below and in bio:
https://www.southeastasianarchaeology.com/blackfriday2020/
  • 1) Bangles from Burial 49, Ban Chiang early-middle period. 2) Bent spear tip from Burial 76. 3) The latest volumes from White and Hamilton on the archaeology of Ban Chiang, a significant Unesco World Heritage Site in Thailand. I’m looking for reviewers for the SPAFA Journal @seameospafa (ideally a Thai and/or a professional archaeologist) if you’re interested, send me a PM. #banchiang #thailand #bronzeage #udonthani #book #upenn #booksforeview #thaiarchaeology #southeastasianarchaeology #prehistory #neolithic #thaihistory #บ้านเชียง #unescoworldheritage
  • Entry to Wat Chedi Luang is not much, 40 baht for adults or $US1.30 - but when we entered there was nobody at the booth and the groundskeeper told us to go right in - the lack of tourists meant the inability to pay for ticketing staff. Heritage sites dependent on tourism are taking a beating, like the rest of the industry. We left a small donation to the temple, and at every temple we visited, to help for its upkeep. #covid19 #heritagetourism #archaeotourism #chiangmai #thailand #watchediluang
#วัดเจดีย์หลวง #thaiarchaeology #thaiarchitecture #lanna #lannaculture #southeastasianarchaeology #archaeology #archaeologytravel #oldchiangmai #southeastasia #northernthailand #ancientruins
  • Check out my story for the Night at the Museum event at the Bangkok National Museum - in conjunction with Thai Museums Day on September 19. The museum hosted a tea party with musical and dance performances, followed by guided tours at the galleries. It was a good opportunity to catch the new exhibition ‘San Somdet’ - an exploration of Thai history, archaeology and culture through the correspondence of two princes. #bangkok #thailand #nationalmuseum #nationalmuseumbangkok #nightatthemuseum #sansomdet #thaimuseumday #thaihistory #thaiarchaeology #southeastasianarchaeology
  • In Chiangmai yesterday and today and most of my trip was concentrated in the old city of Chiangmai. Wat Chedi Luang, located close to the centre of the city, is easily the largest stupa in the area despite it incomplete state. Built at the end of the 14th century and damaged by earthquake in the 15th century, the chedi once housed the Emerald Buddha that had previously resided in Luang Prabang and is now in Bangkok. H/T to @pathsunwritten for his guides to Chiangmai. The history and archaeology of northern Thailand is unfamiliar to me, what else should I visit, during my next trip to Chiangmai?
#chiangmai #thailand #watchediluang
#วัดเจดีย์หลวง #thaiarchaeology #thaiarchitecture #lanna #lannaculture #southeastasianarchaeology #archaeology #archaeologytravel #oldchiangmai #southeastasia #northernthailand #ancientruins #emeraldbuddha
  • Chedi Chiang Lom, the oldest building in Wat Chiang Man วัดเชียงมั่น, itself the oldest temple in the old city of Chiangmai. The temple was built in 1297, while King Mengrai was building his new city of Chiangmai. The Chedi is similar to Wat Chang Lom in Sukhothai. #วัดเชียงมั่น #chiangmai #chedi #stupa #elephant #thailand #thaiarchaeology #southeastasianarchaeology #lanna #buddhism #oldcity #ancientarchitecture
  • The Big Bad Wolf book sale might sound familiar if you live in Southeast Asia (especially Malaysia and Thailand), and this year due to the pandemic they
  • Gold leaf relic from the 11-12th century, found inside one of the Khmer temples in Northeast Thailand (I
  • Wat Phra Si Sanphet was one of the most significant temples of Ayutthaya, being located in the grounds of the royal palace. The three chedis here house the remains of three 15th-century kings, Trailok, Ramathibodi II and Borommarachathirat III. The Ayutthaya Historical Park is now reopen to the public, with safe distancing measures in place! #watphrasisanphet #วัดพระศรีสรรเพชญ์ #ayutthaya #royalpalace #ayutthayahistoricalpark #thailand #ruins #chedi #unescoworldheritage #tourismthailand #travelthailand #thaiarchaeology #southeastasianarchaeology
Sunday, January 17, 2021
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Home » Cambodia » Nei Xue Tang: A Museum of Buddhist Art – Part 2

Nei Xue Tang: A Museum of Buddhist Art – Part 2

Tags: Angkor (kingdom)ArtBuddhismDurga (deity)epigraphyGaruda (mythic creature)Hevajra (deity)Khmer (people)museumsNei Xue Tang (museum)stele
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In this second part of the feature on Nei Xue Tang (click here for Part 1), I’m taking my vacation in Cambodia as an opportune time for me to write about the Khmer collections of this museum of Buddhist Art.

Nei Xue Tang - Khmer art

A lot of the major sculptures – the ones we’re interested in anyway – are all located on the ground floor of this four-storey building. The reason? It’s just too big to move upstairs! Here are four examples of Khmer art found at the museum: a 12th century statue of a Garuda (a mythical bird), a pre-Angkoran statue of the goddess Durga from the 7th century, an Angkor Borei style seated Buddha, and a dancing Hevajra from Bayon in the 13th century. I’m not all that familiar with the iconographyof Hindu and Buddhist art, so unfortunately I can’t write anything more about them.

Nei Xue Tang - Bull's Head inscriptionSee the bull’s head at the base of the seated Buddha from Angkor Borei? If you look closely enough, you can see that the base of the entire statue is lined with Khmer inscriptions! I’ve tried to enhance an image on the inscriptions, but they aren’t all that clear. Mr Woon, the owner of Nei Xue Tang tells me that he is arranging to get the inscriptions translated.

Nei Xue Tang - Khmer SteleThat’s not the most impressive example of ancient inscriptions in the collection, however. Again on the first floor, is another huge slab of stone with a carved seat Buddha at the base. At first glance, it seems like an ordinary slab of stone with an attached decoration. But on a closer look, one realises that the entire face of the slab is carved with inscriptions! This slab is dated to the Baphuon period of the 11th century. Strangely enough, most visitors to the museum usually skip this stele, according to museum owner Mr W. S. Woon. Granted, it’s not the most visually appealing of all the exhibits, but in my view it’s potentially one of the most richest sources of information among the entire collection of some, 10,000 pieces. The inscription has not been translated as well – this piece was in fact a bequest to the museum by a group of donors.

Here’s a closer look at the a portion of the inscription, enhanced for better visibility:

Nei Xue Tang - Khmer Stele inscription

The bulk of the artefacts featured in this series is focused on the material culture from Southeast Asia – however, I must add that it is only a portion of the exhibits on display which also include various examples of Chinese, Tibetan, Indian and Nepalese art, as well as a vast array of Buddhist relics from ancient to more recent times. If you’re ever in Singapore and you’re interested in examples of Buddhist art, you should pay Nei Xue Tang a visit.

SEAArch would like to thank Mr Woon and Nei Xue Tang for the permission to take photographs for this post.

Other books about Buddhism and Buddhist Art:
– The Art of Champa by J. Hubert
– Origins Of Thai Art by B. Gosling
– Ancient Pagan by D. Stadtner
– Asian Religions: An Illustrated Introduction by B. K. Hawkins
– Hindu-Buddhist Art Of Vietnam: Treasures From Champa by E. Guillon
– The Sacred Sculpture of Thailand: The Alexander B. Griswold Collection, the Walters Art Gallery by H. W. Woodward
– The Buddhist World of Southeast Asia (Suny Series in Religion) by D. K. Swearer
– Art of Sukhothai by C. Stratton and M. Scott

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Comments 2

  1. miel says:
    14 years ago

    nice. got not chance go cambodia yet. one day i will.

  2. liz says:
    14 years ago

    Glad you are keeping us informed of your travels. Interesting stuff!

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