SIEM REAP — Set in nature where the cicadas keep buzzing, the walled compound of Angkor Conservation is a repository where sculptures, pieces of statues or sculpted segments of unidentified works found in the region of Angkor are stored to be studied, documented, and eventually restored.

Founded in 1908 by the Ecole française d'Extrême-Orient, or EFEO, and passed on to the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts in 1991, Angkor Conservation contains works and stone fragments going back centuries.

As Chhan Chamroeun, deputy director of the Department of Conservation of Monuments at the Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts, explained during an interview, Angkor Conservation is not open to the public since this is not a museum but a workshop where experts study, restore, document and store works or work fragments.

In addition to the many statues of Hindu deities and mythical animals, there are statues of the Buddha, some of them sculpted as far back as the 10th century and others as recently as the 19th century, which are kept in a building dedicated to them.

Sem Vanna: Sculpted in so many styles and sizes, and each one with its own story, where have these statues of Buddha come from?

Chhan Chamroeun: Through the information I have obtained, these statues of Buddha came from many different places, but several of them are from Angkor Wat temple and the ancient walled city of Angkor Thom.

There are sculptures of the Buddha in standing posture as well as segments of heads of the Buddha. The smaller statues were collected at pagodas throughout the area. The sandstone statues were painted gold by Buddhist monks.

Sem Vanna: Why do some statues of the Buddha here have their heads missing from the body?

Chhan Chamroeun: Our country went through many times of turmoil. Antiquity theft was a common thing. When monks could not keep these historical statues safe from robbery within their monasteries, they would inform the ministry and ask to have these items kept and protected at Angkor Conservation.

The Minister of Culture and Fine Arts dedicated a warehouse solely for the statues of Buddha. We began re-housing and organizing the sculptures and sculpted segments in this warehouse in 2017 and 2018.

I put the statues going from the oldest, so from the 10th to the 13th centuries, on one side of the building. The best-looking statues are put in the middle section, which also serves as a makeshift shrine for those who would come and pray. On the other side, I have put the other statues that may be as recent the 19th century.

Sem Vanna: How many statues do you have here?

Chhan Chamroeun: We have more than 300 statues, some whole and others damaged. Not all the statues are well documented since many of them have been brought in as far back as during the French Protectorate [in the first part of the 20th century]. But now, the statues are thoroughly documented and labelled, which include dating them and describing their postures.

Sem Vanna: Can the public visit Angkor Conservation?

Chhan Chamroeun: As of now, it is not open to the public: This is a warehouse. However, some statues stored here were selected to be put on display in museums. To me, these sculptures are priceless legacies from our ancestors.

They are our historical gems. They present us with stories long lost in time. It is commonly known that Buddhism and Hinduism have lived side by side in Cambodia from a very long time ago. At times, Buddhism would replace Hinduism as the state religion. And then Hinduism would take the top spot again.

It was not until around the 14th century that Buddhism was brought back by a king to be the state religion once more. This is why it is quite hard for us to precisely know the origin of each item.

Conducted in Khmer for ThmeyThmey Digital Media, the interview was translated by Ky Chamna for Cambodianess.

To watch the original interview in Khmer, click here.

For information on the restoration of a 1,000-year-old Khmer statue:

Nothing Impossible: Giant Dancing Shiva Statue in 10,000 Pieces Being Reassembled