Detailed Restoration of the Vishnu Sculpture from Western Mebon
This sculpture was brought back to Cambodia, but it was later sent to France for restoration.
In the photo: A technician is restoring the “Reclining Vishnu from Western Mebon” at the Arc’Antique laboratory in Nantes, western France, before it is presented to the press in Paris at the Guimet Museum in April 2025.
The restoration is highly meticulous: soft earth-based powders were used to clean the bronze surface. Under the red coating marked by scratches and corrosion, a green patina reappeared, along with traces of gilded elements on several parts of the statue.
Photo by Sebastien Salom-Gomis / AFP
Additional Information on the Restoration and Cultural Value
Since 1936, the sculpture “Reclining Vishnu from Western Mebon” has been known after being discovered at Western Mebon temple in Siem Reap by researchers Henri Marchal and Maurice Glaize.
In 2024, it was sent to France for scientific analysis and cleaning by the Arc’Antique laboratory in Nantes, in collaboration with ALIPH, C2RMF, and EFEO.
Approximately 84 fragments have been catalogued. More than 15 have been grouped into 3–4 blocks to be reassembled with the main statue for display at the Guimet Museum.
This exhibition, titled “Angkor Royal Bronzes: Art of the Divine,” opened to the public at the Musée Guimet in Paris on April 30, 2025, and will run until September 8, 2025.
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