Ministry of the Royal Palace Builds Statues of 12 Angkorian Army Chiefs in Siem Reap

Phnom Penh៖Secretary of State of the Ministry of the Royal Palace, Ms. Kong Panha, said that the Ministry of the Royal Palace has built 12 statues of Angkorian warlords in the Royal Palace in Siem Reap.

She said that the installation under the project to renovate large-scale infrastructure of the Royal Palace Park, Siem Reap City, Siem Reap Province since the beginning of 2020 and will be completed in October 2022.

The Secretary of State said that the statues of the 12 Angkorian Khmer army chiefs were studied through the history of the work, including the style, quoting from the inscriptions on the sculptures in many temples before being built as statues. More than 30 generals who served in the reign of the Angkorian period were identified and collected by the team.

She added that the number 12 is a number that Cambodians often use and represents the 12 kingdoms of Cambodian history. The appearance, clothing, weapons, equipment, hairstyles of the 12 commanders were pottery and designed according to the chronological patterns of the commanders.

It should be noted that the 12 statues are made of metal, copper, designed as a round sculpture, the same height 2 meters 1 water, regardless of the pedestal, and weighs from 200 to 300 kg, depending on the shape. The shape of the weapons, the equipment of each statue, and the shape of the faces of these statues are shaped and designed according to the facial features of the ancient Khmer character according to the time when the commander lived and served the government through the pictures and sculptures on the temple walls.

Although this is the achievement of modern Khmer children, but these works are always preserved and in accordance with historical documents, not far from our history.