Around 1860, the French orchid collector Henri Mouhout discovered the monumental remnants of a lost civilization in the jungles of Cambodia. He reported on a sacred city of ruins, giant stone faces overgrown with aerial roots, and hidden under dense foliage. First, Europe marveled, and soon the entire world followed.

Since then, the name Angkor has stood for mysterious, sprawling temple complexes in the Cambodian jungle. Over 200 faces adorn the towers of the Bayon Temple, one of the most impressive religious structures on Earth, whose construction began 50 years after the completion of Angkor Wat.

The serene smile on the monumental stone faces, the famous smile of Angkor, is also found on the Apsaras, the celestial dancers. They amaze the viewer, among other things, from the bas-reliefs in Angkor Wat, the temple mountain considered the greatest masterpiece of Khmer architecture.

However, the smile of Angkor is in danger. Rain, drought, harmful gases and salts, lichens, and fungi affect the artworks differently depending on their location. Particularly at risk from weathering processes are the Apsara and Devata reliefs, the celestial dancers and goddesses. In the sandstone, layer formations occur, and layers peel off and collapse.

The German Apsara Conservation Project (GACP), for instance, has been carrying out valuable work for several years to counteract this development.

For us at amazing-asian-art, this situation inspired the idea of preserving these incomparable works of art in a different way to safeguard the mysterious smile of Angkor. Together with Thai and Cambodian artists and inspired by the magnificent culture of the ancient Khmer Empire, whose buildings were constructed between the 9th and 13th centuries, we have handcrafted several sculptures and bas-reliefs to bring you closer to the magic of this world-famous ancient Khmer art.