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 Traditional arts and crafts are abundant in
Cambodia. The sculptures, paintings and curving are
done with great care and attention. One can view
such antiquities in market place, shop or museum.
The variety of arts and crafts are large in range
and include such item as: silver and gold jewelry,
wicker were furniture, fine hard wood furniture,
silks, marble sculptures, high quality China,
leather ware and much more. There is a sharp eye for
detail here and much of the products will be
intricately carved especially the furniture,
sculptures etc.
Unfortunately, much of these works completely ceased
to exist during the Khmer Rouge dictatorship.
Artisans ware instead forced to work in labor camps,
where most of them died painful deaths. Many arts
and crafts also purposely perished during that time.
Today there has been a revival, due to a great deal
of restoration work, which has been initiated by
foreign governments. Now many centers have been
established to keep the ancient methods of the
craftwork alive. You can see examples of this
throughout the country.
Arts & Handicrafts
 Across the land of green rice paddies, shining
blue waters, great wandering rivers and lush
forests, the people of Cambodia are re-learning the
arts of their ancestors.
Silk Weaving
Gem-colored silk in a brilliant array of colors are
stacked floor to ceiling in shops at Phnom Penh and
Siem Reap. This Cambodian handicraft has been passed
down from generation to generation. You can visit
silk weavers in various places in Cambodia including
Kandal, Prey Veng and Takeo provinces. The colors of
traditional Khmer silk costumes are historically
associated with the days of the week as follows:
Yellow for Monday, Purple for Tuesday, Green and
Copper on Wednesday, Green for Thursday, Blue on
Friday, Violet for Saturday and Red for Sunday.
Silver
The art of the Silversmith reached its height in
Cambodia during the 11th century when crafted
objects were used primarily by Royalty and the upper
classes for ceremonial purposes including funerals
and religious rituals. You will find city market
stalls offering many silver items for sale including
intricate fruit and animal designs as well as
traditional style pieces.
Carvings
Wood carvings reflect strong spiritual beliefs with
roots in animism from the pillars of a house to the
elaborate motifs of the moon, stars, fruit and
flowers. Houses are built with great attention given
to the pillars, each having its own spirit of a
woman, and roofs feature elaborate carved motifs.
Miniature ¨Spirit Houses¨ are strategically placed
at homes and other buildings and they are used for
offerings of food, flowers and incense. Carved boxes
and statues are used for ornamentation and
furniture.
Stone carving is another popular art form and again
you will find many vendors in the main tourist
markets offering pieces for sale. There is an
excellent array of reproduction pieces available. |
