KHMER EMPIRE ANGKOR BRONZE CEREMONIAL BLESSING CUP LADLE FROM SOUTHEAST ASIA *SEA15

Product Description

SEE MORE ARTIFACTS OF ANCIENT ASIA

This spectacular, RARE ancient bronze ritual blessing ladle is from the Angkor civilization (or Khmer Empire) dating between 800 to 1300 AD.  The Khmer Empire is the name given to an important civilization of southeast Asia that included all of Cambodia, southeastern Thailand, and northern Vietnam.  It is also the name of one of the medieval Khmer capital cities, containing some of the most spectacular temples in the world, such as Angkor Wat.  Objects from this lost civilization are intriguing, scarce, and highly desirable.

Crafted entirely of bronze, this exceptional example is complete and all original but repaired from three parts - the handle end and the bowl have been re-attached to the tubular handle.  The famous architecture elements of the mysterious buildings of Angkor Wat can even be found in the design of the handle end of this incredible specimen!

This genuine ancient metal object has been professionally cleaned and conserved in our lab, the metal treated to protect against corrosion.  Caution when acquiring UNTREATED ancient metal objects as they are extremely hygroscopic (attract moisture from the atmosphere), and are highly prone to corrosion and severe deterioration, over time.  Every metal antiquity we sell is always cleaned and conserved in ways that exceed museum standards, to protect and preserve the object for the future.  This is extremely rare in the public antiquity market.

HISTORY

The Khmer Empire, also known as the Angkor Empire, was a Hindu-Buddhist empire in Southeast Asia.  The beginning of the era of the Khmer Empire is conventionally dated to 802 when King Jayavarman II declared himself chakravartin ("universal ruler") on Phnom Kulen. The empire ended with the fall of Angkor in the 15th century.  The empire, which grew out of the former kingdoms of Funan and Chenla, at times ruled over and/or vassalised most of mainland Southeast Asia and parts of Southern China, stretching from the tip of the Indochinese Peninsula northward to modern Yunnan province, China, and from Vietnam westward to Myanmar.  Satellite imaging has revealed that Angkor, during its peak in the 11th to 13th centuries, was the largest pre-industrial urban center in the world!

Its greatest legacy is Angkor, in present-day Cambodia, which was the site of the capital city during the empire's zenith.  The majestic monuments of Angkor, such as Angkor Wat and Bayon, bear testimony to the Khmer Empire's immense power and wealth, impressive art and culture, architectural technique, aesthetics achievements, and the variety of belief systems that it patronised over time.